Necroptosis is a new mode of cell death that starts with the form of apoptosis, performs as the necrosis-like phenotype, and is known as programmed necrosis or tumor necrosis factor-induced (TNF-induced) necrosis. The programmed necrosis plays an important role in the injury and death of neuronal cell due to some neurosurgical diseases, including craniocerebral trauma, brain tumor, and cerebrovascular diseases. The gradual understanding of signal transduction mechanisms of necroptosis and the discovery of potent specific inhibitors (such as necrostatin-1) provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of neurosurgical diseases. This paper reviews the advances in discovery and mechanisms of necroptosis.