Central Nervous System

Central nervous system (CNS) tumours account for 2%–5% of all tumours in man. The incidence is higher among the white races than among Negroes. The sex ratio is about 1:1 for most histological types. An important male predominance is found in medulloblastomas. Meningiomas and acoustic neuromas predominate in adult females. CNS tumours occur at all ages. There is a peak incidence of glial tumours in childhood; they rank first among solid tumours before puberty. Certain mesenchymal tumours have a familial tendency. Phakomatoses are often associated with a higher frequency of different types of intracranial tumours. Lesions of other organs (retina, viscera) are often associated with haemangioblastoma.