Carcinoma encephaloides is a medical term used to describe a type of cancer that appears in various organs of the body. The pronunciation of the word is "kar-suh-NOH-muh en-SEF-uh-loid-eez," transcribed as /kɑrˈsɪnoʊmə ɛnˈsɛfəlɔɪdiːz/. The word "carcinoma" refers to cancerous tumors that develop in epithelial cells. The adjective "encephaloides" means resembling or pertaining to brain tissue. The proper spelling of this term is important in medical communications, so that there is no confusion over the condition being referred to.
Carcinoma encephaloides, also known as encephaloid carcinoma or carcinomatosis encephaloides, is a term used in medical terminology to describe a rare form of metastatic cancer that originates from a primary tumor.
The word "carcinoma" refers to a type of cancer that starts in the epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the external and internal surfaces of the body. Encephaloides stems from the Greek word "enkephalos" meaning "brain," suggesting that this type of carcinoma has a propensity to metastasize to the brain.
Carcinoma encephaloides typically arises from primary tumors in organs such as the breast, lung, stomach, or colon, although it can originate in other locations. The tumor cells exhibit a distinctive microscopic appearance, characterized by large, rounded or polygonal cells, and tend to infiltrate surrounding tissues aggressively.
As a metastatic cancer, carcinoma encephaloides spreads beyond its primary site and infiltrates other parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord, leading to the term "encephaloides." This metastasis can cause neurological manifestations and various symptoms, such as headaches, seizures, impaired cognitive function, motor deficits, and changes in behavior.
The diagnosis of carcinoma encephaloides is often challenging due to its rarity and similarity to other brain tumors. It requires a combination of clinical evaluation, radiographic imaging, and pathological analysis to confirm the presence of metastatic tumors. Treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies, depending on the nature of the primary tumor and the extent of metastasis.
Overall, carcinoma encephaloides is a rare and aggressive type of
Encephaloid cancer, medullary cancer.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The term "carcinoma encephaloides" is a medical term used to describe a type of cancer called encephaloid carcinoma. The etymology of the word can be broken down as follows:
1. Carcinoma: The word "carcinoma" comes from the Greek word "karkinos", which means "crab". The term was coined based on the appearance of cancerous tumors, which were thought to resemble a crab's legs. It later became a general term for malignant tumors derived from epithelial tissue.
2. Encephaloid: The term "encephaloid" is derived from the Greek words "encephalon", meaning "brain", and "oid", meaning "resembling". It was used to describe tumors that resemble brain tissue due to their soft and infiltrative nature.