Flow cytometry in tumours of the brain

Flow cytometry was used for studying the distribution of single cell DNA content in biopsy material from 85 patients with benign and malignant lesions of the brain and spinal cord. In inflammatory lesions and in most benign tumours, cells with diploid DNA values were observed, sometimes with additional smaller amounts of tetraploid DNA. Cells from malignant tumours were characterized by marked hyperploid DNA values. Flow cytometry is found a rapid and valuable method adding important information to the biological nature of tumours of the central nervous system.