Hugh Cairns, Dorothy Russell and the first pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma?

The 40-year survival of a patient with an unusual astrocytoma, excised in 1930, has been re-evaluated by study of the original microfilmed records, histological slides and paraffin-wax embedded tissue blocks. The operation and neuropathological examination were carried out by Mr Hugh Cairns and Dr Dorothy Russell, in the very early days of neurosurgery. Review of the original tissue specimen with immunocytochemistry has revealed that the tumour was a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, the earliest recorded example.