Recurrence of supratentorial gliomas

Two hundred patients treated for supratentorial gliomas and for whom a follow up of one to sixteen years was available have been reviewed retrospectively for recurrence of tumor. All patients were initially treated with radical surgical tumour removal followed by radiotherapy. The series consisted of 82 cases of astrocytomas, 46 cases of mixed gliomas (oligoastrocytomas), 8 of oligodendrogliomas, 33 cases of malignant astrocytomas and 31 glioblastomas. However, period of recurrence could not be correlated to histological grade or presence or absence of residual tumour in a postoperative CT scan. Illustrated cases have been described. Problems of diagnosis and therapy have been discussed.