[Erdheim's tumors in adults--diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic results]

The authors present a group of 27 adult patients aged over 25 years treated in the Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Academy in Warsaw in the years 1960-1985 for Erdheim's tumours. In most cases the first signs were visual disturbances and signs of raised intracranial pressure, and in only 48% of cases endocrine disturbances were additionally found. The basic diagnostic method in these cases was computerized tomography which indicates precisely the location of the lesion, its consistency and width of ventricles. All patients were treated surgically, the operative surgery was 14.8%. The authors believe that surgical treatment followed by radiotherapy is the best method of management of such tumours in adults.