What is gliomatosis cerebri?

Also known as: infiltrative diffuse astrocytosis, malignant astrocytic tumor.

Astrocytes are star-shaped cells that are part of a glial network of supportive and nourishing tissue within the brain. One rare form of malignant (cancerous) tumor that grows and infiltrates aggressively (grade 1V, the most malignant form of brain tumor) from these cells and which spreads over the top and throughout the brain is known as gliomatosis cerebri.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM