[Malignant glial tumors. Difficulties in histopathological diagnosis (author's transl)]

Various questions are asked to the neuropathologist when the diagnosis of malignant glial tumor is suspected: is there a tumor on the sample? is it a glial tumor? What is the degree of malignancy and the prognosis? Answers to be given are easier if the biopsy has been performed before any treatment than in case of suspicion of tumor recurrence. The limits of the neuropathological methods, as well classical as more up to date ones such as electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, image analysis or tissue culture and those of other research methods such as biochemistry, are emphasized.