II. Learning unit: Primary brain tumors

Objectives and competencies

This syllabus covers clinico-pathological relevancies of primary brain tumors in multidisciplinary approach. Students may learn general characteristic of the surface anatomy and diagnostically relevant cross sectional anatomy of the brain. The pathological chapter introduces classification and oncogenesis of primary tumors of the central nervous system. The radiological chapter distinctive features on imaging studies and characteristics of primary brain tumors on CT and MR imaging. The clinical chapter introduces epidemiology, clinical course, symptomatology, non-imaging tools of diagnosis, and modalities of the disease in multimedia enhanced environment with illustrations photos and tables.

Chapter II/1: Superficial and sectional anatomy of the brain

Gábor Baksa

II/1.1: Introduction

In this short chapter, we only try to review the brain’s (cerebrum) general anatomical structure, nevertheless we discuss two-dimensional or sectional anatomy in details since it is of utmost importance in a diagnostic point of view. Sectional anatomy is suitable for demonstration of the anatomy of larger neural pathways, subcortical structures in the grey matter, and – depending on the section width – their topographic relations.

Brain in a narrow sense (telencephalon) can be divided to right and left hemisphere. Three surfaces are distinguished on the brain and the hemispheres: basilar surface on the basis, convex surface facing the skullcap, and medial surface facing the cerebral falx. The hemispheres consist of frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. Insula is an intricate cortical segment which is similar to the surface but is sunk into the depth, and it is considered as an independent lobe (insular lobe). The two hemispheres are connected by commissural fibers and pathways.

In a wider sense, brain includes the interbrain (diencephalon) and the brainstem (truncus cerebri) with its three parts: midbrain (mesencephalon), pons, and medulla oblongata. Cerebellum (small brain) is attached to the brain stem on the dorsal surface.

The chapter structure

• II/1.1: Introduction

• II/1.2: The brain’s convex surface

• II/1.3: The brain’s medial surface

• II/1.4: The brain’s basal surface

• II/1.5: Sectional anatomy of the brain

• II/1.6: Horizontal (axial) sections of the brain

Reference

Eycleshymer – Schoemaker: A cross-sectional anatomy

Hajdu: Vezérfonal a neuroanatómiához

Komáromy: Az agyvelő boncolása

Rauber-Kopsch: Lehrbuch der Anatomie