[The metastatic potential of primary central nervous tumours (author's transl)]

Anatomical and clinical findings in 9 cases of primary brain tumors with metastases within (7 cases) or outside of (2 cases) the nervous system are reported. A review of the published literature revealed 248 cases of histologically-confirmed central nervous system tumors with metastases outside of the nervous system. These secondary sites are seen more frequently in adult males. Their frequency, in descending order, was gliomas (39,5 p. 100), meningeal tumors and sarcomas (28,2 p. 100), neuronal tumors (14,1 p. 100), lymphoma-microgliomas (12,5 p. 100), pineal body tumors (4 p. 100), and melanomas (1,6 p. 100). Ten cases out of 248 developed through a shunt. Nineteen cases were discovered without any surgical operation. There are still many unknown factors concerning their pathogenesis. It appears, however, than in some series of patients the prolongation of the survival-rate and the late effects of surgical operation are positive factors for metastatic dissemination.