Onkológia 3/2010

Changes in the newest WHO classification of tumours of central nervous system and their impact on current diagnostics

WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System, the so called Blue Book, is important framework for the diagnosis of brain tumours. Its terminology and grading principles should be mandatory for surgical pathology, as the treatment is based on WHO diagnostic categories. Without it the results of different centres cannot be mutually compared. The consensual conference, held in Heideleberg on November 2006, resulted in new WHO classification published in 2007. There are many modifications, changes in the terminology and seven newly codified tumour entities: angiocentric glioma, pilomyxoid astrocytoma, papillary glioneuronal tumour, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the 4th ventricle, papillary tumour of the pineal region, spindle cell oncocytoma and pituicytoma. Mostly, they are rare tumours already known from the published literature. Rapid development in the molecular pathology resulted in the marked changes of paragraphs about tumour genetics. Despite progress in our understanding of brain tumours, many questions are still unanswered; therefore there remained a few problematic areas that might complicate the diagnosis.

Keywords: tumours of the central nervous system, The World Health Organisation Classification 2000 and 2007, changes in the classifications.