Mixed gliomas are among the most frequent of brain tumors induced by nitrosourea derivatives. In a personal collection of 300 experimental tumors 142 were gliomas. The characteristics of the various oncotypes are described, with special reference to mixed and polymorphic gliomas. Generally, gliomas develop from microtumors and polymorphic gliomas from isomorphic gliomas. For this reason mixed gliomas probably represent an intermediate stage of the transformation. The principal cellular components of mixed gliomas in order of frequency are: oligodendroglial, astrocytic, ependymal and sarcomatous. Some pathogenetic hypotheses are advanced to explain the changes observed in gliomas during their development.
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