Supratentorial low-grade gliomas.

Low-grade gliomas (grades I and II) are infiltrative lesions. Patients harboring these tumors follow extremely variable clinical courses. Review of current data suggests that in patients with large tumors, complete excision affords long-term survival, with or without radiation therapy. Partial excision should be followed by radiation therapy. The management of very small tumors in patients who are neurologically normal is controversial. Stereotactic technique is particularly useful in diagnosis, and often in tumor resection, in this group of patients.