Magnetic resonance dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of posterior fossa hemangioblastomas and pilocytic astrocytomas: initial results.
Keywords
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion and MR imaging findings between hemangioblastomas and pilocytic astrocytoma (PA).
METHODS
We retrospectively identified 6 patients with hemangioblastomas and 8 patients with PAs who underwent MR imaging before resection. Using fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery imaging, we graded peritumoral edema as absent, minimal, mild, moderate, or severe. In addition, 3 patients with hemangioblastomas and 4 patients with PAs underwent DSC-MR imaging before resection.
RESULTS
We observed moderate to severe peritumoral edema in 6 patients with hemangioblastomas and none or minimal peritumoral edema in 8 patients with PAs. The mean relative cerebral blood volume was 7.7 (SD, 1.0) in patients with hemangioblastomas and 1.8 (SD, 1.8) in patients with PAs.
CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary findings demonstrate significantly higher DSC-MR imaging relative cerebral blood volumes in patients with hemangioblastomas when compared with patients with PAs. In addition, moderate to severe peritumoral edema was associated with hemangioblastomas.