The microvascular architecture of human malignant glioma. A scanning electron microscopic study of a vascular cast.

The three-dimensional microvascular architecture of human glioma was investigated. The results of the study, the first of its kind, suggested that the process of vascularization in glioma is based on two patterns. In a large proportion of the glioma, one pattern is similar to the vascularization observed in normal developing fetal and newborn rat brain, while in a small proportion of the glioma, another pattern including complicated vascular protrusion and spiral running, is seen.