Abstract
Fibrillary astrocytomas are the most Common primary tumors of the central nervous system. Historically, there have been numerous attempts at stratifying and grading astrocytomas, which have proven variably successful. The early grading schema of Bailey and Cushing was predicated on the presumed embryogenetic derivation of cells comprising the given tumor (1). The grading schema resulted in a three-tiered system in which tumors were designated as low-grade astrocytoma, astroblastoma, and the high grade spongioblastoma multiforme. In 1949, Kernohan and Sayre proposed a four-tiered numerical grading schema based on the tumor’s degree of dedifferentiation (2). Tumors were designated as grades 1 through 4. In general, there was fairly good correlation between tumor grade and the length of postoperative survival. At about the same time, the original Ringertz classification schema was proposed (3). In the Ringertz system, tumors were classified into three grades which were designated as astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and glioblastoma multiforme. Again, prognostic significance was associated with each grade designation.
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Prayson, R.A., Cohen, M.L. (2000). Fibrillary Astrocytoma. In: Practical Differential Diagnosis in Surgical Neuropathology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-037-7_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-037-7_3
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
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