Gross Pathology of Brain Tumors

Abstract

In the following presentation of the gross and histologic structure of brain tumors, pure description takes precedence over interpretation. The need for a certain amount of caution in setting up hypotheses becomes apparent upon reading the older literature, since some of the earlier notions, e.g., that of concerning the problem of “infiltrating” versus “induced” growth (p. 128ff.), are now useless. This is largely because the findings themselves were relegated to the background and the interpretations were overburdened with hypotheses. On the other hand, good descriptions of classical pathology still allow diagnoses of tumor types according to present classifications (e.g., Klebs 1877, 1889).