Misdiagnosed brain tumor: Woman in Bengaluru receives incorrect psychiatric treatment

When Radhika began to experience severe hallucinations and ceased communication with her family, all signs pointing to a possible brain tumor were overlooked.

Her distressed husband, seeking answers, took her to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed her with a mental and behavioral disorder and treated her for almost eight months.

During this time, Radhika's condition worsened. The psychiatric medications proved ineffective as her symptoms, including significant weight gain and prolonged sleep, continued to deteriorate.

"Radhika exhibited symptoms such as low mood, urinary incontinence, reduced speech, social withdrawal, memory impairment, headaches, visual deterioration in one eye, and abnormal behavior," said her husband, a tech professional.

When psychiatric treatment failed to provide relief, they consulted a neurosurgeon. An MRI revealed that her symptoms were caused by a brain tumor, not a mental illness.

The tumor, located in the frontal lobes of her brain, was as large as a tennis ball. Dr. Aniruddha Tekkatte Jagannatha, a neurosurgery consultant at Aster RV Hospital, explained, "The frontal lobes are crucial for decision-making and behavior regulation.

Tumors in this area, like meningiomas or gliomas, can cause psychiatric symptoms, including mood changes and personality alterations, in less than 10 percent of brain tumor cases.

These symptoms are often misdiagnosed, delaying the appropriate treatment." Radhika, 47, underwent an eight-hour surgery utilizing navigation and tumor fluorescence technology (blue-light), allowing for complete removal of the tumor.

Remarkably, within a week of the surgery, Radhika returned to her normal self, much to her family's relief and joy.