Highlights in surgery of brain tumours

The largest possible and safe removal of the lesion (also malignant) is the best first step of treatment. The extra-axial benign lesions do require the best possible surgical treatment, ideally a complete resection of the lesion without endangering the surrounding neural and/or vascular structures. The most frequent extra-axial intracranial tumours are: pituitary tumours, craniopharyngiomas, central skull base meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, trigeminal schwannomas, and schwannomas of the CNs VIII. The outmost surgical reduction of the size of the lesion is highly welcome regardless of whether the tumour is intra-axial and/or extra-axial. Complementary treatment can be much more effective following a successful surgical resection of the lesion. There is no doubt that biological treatments will eventually replace the present day surgical interventions. But at the moment, this is still most effective and the only treatment which can be offered to the patients with intracranial tumours.