Pío del Río Ortega: A Pioneer in the Pathology of Central Nervous System Tumors

Abstract

The last 140 years have seen considerable advances in knowledge of central nervous system tumors. However, the main tumor types had already been described during the early years of the twentieth century. The studies of Dr. Pío del Río Hortega have been ones of the most exhaustive histology and cytology-based studies of nervous system tumors. Río Hortega's work was performed using silver staining methods, which require a high level of practical skill and were therefore difficult to standardize. His technical aptitude and interest in nervous system tumors played a key role in the establishment of his classification, which was based on cell lineage and embryonic development. Río Hortega's approach was controversial when he proposed it. Current classifications are not only based on cell type and embryonic lineage, as well as on clinical characteristics, anatomical site, and age.

Cajal and the Spanish Neurological School: Neuroscience Would Have Been a Different Story Without Them

“…As a culmination of the contribution of the Spanish Neurological School to Neuropathology, Pío del Río-Hortega was a pioneer in the field of histopathology and especially, in terms of the cytopathology of nervous system tumors (essentially with the help of silver staining methods). Indeed, he proposed the first classification of nervous system cancers, based on cell lineage and the developmental origins of the transformed cells (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1934; there is an English version of the classification: del Río-Hortega, 1962; for a recent review see Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). Although Río-Hortega’s first thoughts on neural tumors were published in the early 1910s (del Río-Hortega, 1911, 1912), it was between 1928 and 1936 when his name became universally recognized in this area (this was his main research subject until his death), when he was already known for the identification of oligodendroglia and microglia (see above).…”

“…His cytological classification of nervous system tumors was controversial at that time (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1933), yet it was fundamental to complement that proposed by Bailey and Cushing, with important contributions by Penfield (who actually went to Spain in the mid-1920s to work with Pío del Río-Hortega for a relatively short but fundamental stage of his training). Indeed, Río-Hortega’s classification was accepted when he presented it at the International Cancer Congress for the Scientific and Social Fight Against Cancer (Madrid, 1933), where he campaigned for a worldwide harmonization of the terminology used in the study and treatment of nervous system tumors (exquisitely summarized in: Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). In fact, his studies and classification of oligodendrogliomas, and of tumors in the optic chiasm and nerves are particularly remarkable (del Río-Hortega, 1944a,b), especially as they were carried out in his last years and in exile, before ironically dying as a consequence of cancer.…”

Cajal and the Spanish Neurological School: Neuroscience Would Have Been a Different Story Without Them

“…As a culmination of the contribution of the Spanish Neurological School to Neuropathology, Pío del Río-Hortega was a pioneer in the field of histopathology and especially, in terms of the cytopathology of nervous system tumors (essentially with the help of silver staining methods). Indeed, he proposed the first classification of nervous system cancers, based on cell lineage and the developmental origins of the transformed cells (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1934; there is an English version of the classification: del Río-Hortega, 1962; for a recent review see Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). Although Río-Hortega’s first thoughts on neural tumors were published in the early 1910s (del Río-Hortega, 1911, 1912), it was between 1928 and 1936 when his name became universally recognized in this area (this was his main research subject until his death), when he was already known for the identification of oligodendroglia and microglia (see above).…”

“…His cytological classification of nervous system tumors was controversial at that time (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1933), yet it was fundamental to complement that proposed by Bailey and Cushing, with important contributions by Penfield (who actually went to Spain in the mid-1920s to work with Pío del Río-Hortega for a relatively short but fundamental stage of his training). Indeed, Río-Hortega’s classification was accepted when he presented it at the International Cancer Congress for the Scientific and Social Fight Against Cancer (Madrid, 1933), where he campaigned for a worldwide harmonization of the terminology used in the study and treatment of nervous system tumors (exquisitely summarized in: Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). In fact, his studies and classification of oligodendrogliomas, and of tumors in the optic chiasm and nerves are particularly remarkable (del Río-Hortega, 1944a,b), especially as they were carried out in his last years and in exile, before ironically dying as a consequence of cancer.…”

Cajal and the Spanish Neurological School: Neuroscience Would Have Been a Different Story Without Them

“…As a culmination of the contribution of the Spanish Neurological School to Neuropathology, Pío del Río-Hortega was a pioneer in the field of histopathology and especially, in terms of the cytopathology of nervous system tumors (essentially with the help of silver staining methods). Indeed, he proposed the first classification of nervous system cancers, based on cell lineage and the developmental origins of the transformed cells (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1934; there is an English version of the classification: del Río-Hortega, 1962; for a recent review see Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). Although Río-Hortega’s first thoughts on neural tumors were published in the early 1910s (del Río-Hortega, 1911, 1912), it was between 1928 and 1936 when his name became universally recognized in this area (this was his main research subject until his death), when he was already known for the identification of oligodendroglia and microglia (see above).…”

“…His cytological classification of nervous system tumors was controversial at that time (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1933), yet it was fundamental to complement that proposed by Bailey and Cushing, with important contributions by Penfield (who actually went to Spain in the mid-1920s to work with Pío del Río-Hortega for a relatively short but fundamental stage of his training). Indeed, Río-Hortega’s classification was accepted when he presented it at the International Cancer Congress for the Scientific and Social Fight Against Cancer (Madrid, 1933), where he campaigned for a worldwide harmonization of the terminology used in the study and treatment of nervous system tumors (exquisitely summarized in: Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). In fact, his studies and classification of oligodendrogliomas, and of tumors in the optic chiasm and nerves are particularly remarkable (del Río-Hortega, 1944a,b), especially as they were carried out in his last years and in exile, before ironically dying as a consequence of cancer.…”

Cajal and the Spanish Neurological School: Neuroscience Would Have Been a Different Story Without Them

“…As a culmination of the contribution of the Spanish Neurological School to Neuropathology, Pío del Río-Hortega was a pioneer in the field of histopathology and especially, in terms of the cytopathology of nervous system tumors (essentially with the help of silver staining methods). Indeed, he proposed the first classification of nervous system cancers, based on cell lineage and the developmental origins of the transformed cells (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1934; there is an English version of the classification: del Río-Hortega, 1962; for a recent review see Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). Although Río-Hortega’s first thoughts on neural tumors were published in the early 1910s (del Río-Hortega, 1911, 1912), it was between 1928 and 1936 when his name became universally recognized in this area (this was his main research subject until his death), when he was already known for the identification of oligodendroglia and microglia (see above).…”

“…His cytological classification of nervous system tumors was controversial at that time (del Río-Hortega, 1932, 1933), yet it was fundamental to complement that proposed by Bailey and Cushing, with important contributions by Penfield (who actually went to Spain in the mid-1920s to work with Pío del Río-Hortega for a relatively short but fundamental stage of his training). Indeed, Río-Hortega’s classification was accepted when he presented it at the International Cancer Congress for the Scientific and Social Fight Against Cancer (Madrid, 1933), where he campaigned for a worldwide harmonization of the terminology used in the study and treatment of nervous system tumors (exquisitely summarized in: Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, 2016). In fact, his studies and classification of oligodendrogliomas, and of tumors in the optic chiasm and nerves are particularly remarkable (del Río-Hortega, 1944a,b), especially as they were carried out in his last years and in exile, before ironically dying as a consequence of cancer.…”