[Classification and documentation of diffuse gliomas]

Most current grading systems of diffuse gliomas are based solely on the microscopic evaluation of surgical specimens and the TNM classification does not have a value for brain tumors. Here additional parameters are presented, which are suitable for a classification and documentation of diffuse gliomas. As additional parameters to the WHO typing and grading we discuss age groups, different tumor devolutions, circumstances such as a second malignant neoplasm or hereditary tumors, tumor expansion based on anatomically defined brain regions, Karnofsky Scale, eloquence of the brain regions, diag-nostic certainty and informativity of tissue samples. This work shows that clinical data and imaging studies can contribute substantially to the classification of diffuse gliomas. The additional parameters presented here constitute a significant improvement of glioma documentation. Especially complex courses of long duration and repeated therapeutic interventions can be better surveyed and digitally processed.