Electron microscopic studies of brain tumors

THE APPLICATION of electron microscopy to neoplasms of the nervous system has revealed a number of diagnostic characteristics that are of importance in the identification of tumors. Although a thorough description of the ultrastructural details evident in these tumors is beyond the scope of the current account, it would seem useful to call attention to the diagnostic utility of electron microscopy. This utility stems from the fact that all cellular elements are visible in electron micrographs, whereas, by light microscopy, specialized technics are necessary for the demonstration of separate elements. Moreover, by electron microscopy, cellular organelles can be studied with as much precision as was formerly available for cells and tissues, so that pathologic changes in subcellular elements can now be investigated.