[Results of surgical treatment of anaplastic cerebral gliomas]

In the years 1971 through 1977 247 patients with anaplastic cerebral gliomas were treated. Out of this material a group of 119 patients was completed who were treated only surgically and had follow-up examinations or responded to an inquiry form sent to them. In the light of this follow-up study it was established that the survival time was shortest, only up to 6 months, in the patients with preclinical symptoms lasting up to 3 months. In the remaining patients the survival time was longer, reaching over one year in 11 cases and over 2 years in 3 cases. In view of the mode of spread of recurrent neoplasm the authors differentiated exophytous expansion - with the infiltration filling the postoperative tissue defect and extending beyond its margins, infiltrative expansion - with the infiltration spreading on the walls of the postoperative tissue defect, destructive expansion - with the neoplasm infiltrating and destroying the brain tissue. Two latter modes of growth were most frequent and led to death of the patients without producing signs of intracranial hypertension.