ABSTRACT
Astrocytomas 98 Diffuse astrocytomas 98 Anaplastic astrocytomas 98 Glioblastoma 98 Pilocytic astrocytoma 98 Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma 98 Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma 98
Choroid plexus tumors 102 Choroid plexus papilloma and choroid plexus carcinoma 102
Embryonal tumors 104 Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor 104 Ependymoblastoma 104 Medulloblastoma and its variants 105 Medulloepithelioma 106 Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) 106
Ependymoma 107 Ependymoma variants 107
Cellular ependymoma 107 Papillary ependymoma 107 Clear cell ependymoma 107 Tanycytic ependymoma 108 Anaplastic (malignant) ependymoma 108 Subependymoma 108 Myxopapillary ependymoma 108
Meningeal tumors 109 Benign meningiomas (WHO grade I) 110
Meningothelial meningioma 110 Fibrous meningioma 110 Transitional (mixed) meningioma 110 Psammomatous meningioma 111 Angiomatous meningioma 111 Microcystic meningioma 111 Secretory meningioma 111 Lymphoplasmocyte-rich meningioma 112 Metaplastic meningioma 112
Intermediate grade meningiomas (WHO grade II) 112 Clear cell meningioma 112 Chordoid meningioma 112 Atypical meningiomas 112
High grade meningiomas (WHO grade III) 112 Papillary meningiomas 112 Rhabdoid meningiomas 112 Anaplastic (malignant) meningiomas 112
Mixed gliomas 112
Neuroepithelial tumors of uncertain origin 113 Astroblastoma 113 Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle 113 Gliomatosis cerebri 113
Neuronal and mixed neuronal-glial tumors 114 Central neurocytoma 114 Cerebellar liponeurocytoma 114 Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma 115 Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor 116 Dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum 116 Gangliocytoma 116 Ganglioglioma 117 Paraganglioma of the filum terminale 117
Oligodendroglial tumors 117 Oligodendroglioma 117
Pineal parenchymal tumors 119 Pineocytoma/pineoblastoma 119
Pituitary tumors 120 Granular cell tumor of the neurohypophysis 120 Pituicytoma 120 Pituitary adenoma and carcinoma 120
Tumors of sellar region 121 Craniopharyngioma 121
Tumors of uncertain histogenesis 122 Hemangioblastoma 122
WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system 123
Grading of intrinsic brain tumors 123
The most common group of tumors involving the central nervous system (CNS) – and therefore the most commonly seen in
a wide range of primary neoplasms arising within the CNS. Primary tumors of the CNS include tumors arising within the parenchyma of the nervous system and those arising from the
according to the World Health Organization (WHO) scheme, which was updated in 2000 by an international working group of experts.
