How a rare cancer was misdiagnosed as schizophrenia for 10 years
Key Takeaways
Vital Signs
female
44 years old
psychiatric symptoms including hallucinations and paranoia
seizure activity
misdiagnosed schizophrenia
grade 4 glioblastoma
The Patient
Vanessa Rudden, a 44-year-old woman from the UK, began experiencing hallucinations and paranoia starting in her late 20s.
Related: 60-pound tumor misdiagnosed as obesity for over a decade until chance discoveryThe Suspected Diagnosis
She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized repeatedly, and her health concerns, including her belief that she had a worm in her brain, were often dismissed by her doctors.[]
The Truth
It wasn't until Rudden had a seizure, prompting an MRI scan that doctors discovered what was really going on.
The real cause of her symptoms was a grade 4 glioblastoma.
The brain tumor was already the size of a golf ball and had gone undetected for more than a decade. After undergoing surgery to remove most of the tumor, Rudden lived for only another 10 months before passing away in October 2018.
“If only the scan had been done earlier, Vanessa might still be here,” Rudden’s sister, Georgina Doherty, shared with Daily Mail in December 2024.[]
While glioblastomas are rare, their presentations can mimic psychiatric illnesses, as seen in Rudden’s case. Hallucinations, paranoia, or other behavioral changes—often dismissed as mental illness—may warrant deeper exploration.
Understanding Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is the most common type of malignant brain tumor, known for its aggressive nature and poor prognosis.
This type of tumor can grow rapidly and infiltrate surrounding brain tissue, often presenting with non-specific symptoms such as headaches, cognitive changes, or personality shifts.
Advanced imaging techniques, including MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), are essential tools for differentiating glioblastoma from other potential diagnoses. For example, glioblastomas typically exhibit increased choline levels and decreased N-acetylaspartate on MRS, signaling high metabolic activity consistent with malignancy. These imaging modalities can provide critical clues when conventional scans fail to reveal abnormalities or are misleading.
The Takeaway
This is a startling reminder about the importance of patient-centered care, where every symptom is taken seriously and evaluated completely.
Early diagnosis can save lives—and stories like Rudden’s can motivate all health care providers to ask, “What might we be missing?”
Similar cases in medical literature highlight the risks of relying on incomplete diagnostic workups. For example, another patient with glioblastoma was initially misdiagnosed with parasitic infection due to their dietary history and misleading imaging results, according to a case study published in Frontiers in Neurology.[] Only after advanced imaging and surgery was the true diagnosis revealed.
The medical community must strive for a multidisciplinary approach in challenging cases such as these. When symptoms persist or evolve, revisiting the diagnosis with a fresh perspective can make all the difference.
Behind every case is a life full of potential, waiting for the right answers. As we push for improved research and diagnostics, let Rudden’s story inspire a renewed commitment to uncovering the truth for every patient, no matter how elusive it may seem.
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