CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays. These are used to detect tumors and bone abnormalities. This is the area around the spinal cord. CSF is the fluid which bathes the brain and spinal cord. Diagnosis of a brain tumor depends mostly on the types of cells in which the tumor begins and the tumor location.
Gliomas begin from glial cells, which are the supportive tissue of the brain.
There are several types of gliomas, categorized by where they are found, and the type of cells that originated the tumor. A strocytomas are glial cell tumors that are derived from connective tissue cells called astrocytes. These cells can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. Astrocytomas are the most common type of childhood brain tumor. High-grade astrocytomas are the most malignant of all brain tumors.