Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Intracranial Tumours and Vascular Malformations

In spite of the recent advances in brain surgery, the operative treatment of many intracranial conditions still offers great technical difficulties. The use of the operating microscope, especially in dextrous hands, considerably increases the possibility of achieving gratifying clinical results, but nevertheless the removal of some brain tumours, even benign, is still attended by considerable risks. Furthermore, arteriovenous malformations may if deep-seated be practically inaccessible to conventional techniques. These technical problems, inherent in traditional operations lend a sense of urgency to the development of new therapeutic methods.