DIPG Symptoms and Causes

Symptoms

Because the brainstem controls blood pressure, breathing, and a number of other critical life functions, DIPG can cause significant neurological problems. These tumors often affect the cranial nerves, so many of DIPG’s early symptoms appear in the facial muscles, often affecting the eye and eyelid movements.

The tumor grows so fast that symptoms often appear suddenly and get worse quickly. The most common symptoms of DIPG are:

  • Drooping of the eyelid or face, especially on one side

  • Difficulty speaking

  • Problems with walking or balance, especially on one side of the body

  • Difficulty chewing and swallowing

  • Vision problems

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Persistent headaches, especially in the morning

Causes

There is no known cause for DIPG. This disease is not known to be hereditary, meaning it is not passed down from parent to child. The genetic mutations that cause DIPG are also not known to be environmentally influenced, meaning there is nothing a parent did or did not do that caused DIPG to occur in their child.

Researchers believe that DIPG occurs when something goes wrong with normal cell division as a child grows. Errors can take place during this process leading to mutations (changes in the gene structure) which may then allow tumors to grow. These errors generally occur randomly and cannot be prevented.

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