ISSN:
1432-1920
Keywords:
Key words Magnetic resonance imaging
;
Diffusion-weighted imaging
;
Brain abscess
;
Brain tumour
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Our purpose was to evaluate diffusion-weighted (DW) echo-planar MRI in differentiating between brain abscess and tumour. We examined two patients with surgically confirmed pyogenic brain abscess and 18 with metastatic brain tumours or high-grade glioma, using a 1.5 T system. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of each necrotic or solid contrast-enhancing lesion was measured with two different b values (20 and 1200 s/mm2). All capsule-stage brain abscesses (4 lesions) and zones of cerebritis (2 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as markedly high-signal areas of decreased ADC (range, 0.58–0.70 [(10–3 mm2/s; mean, 0.63)]). All cystic or necrotic portions of brain tumours (14 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as low-signal areas of increased ADC (range, 2.20–3.20 [(10–3 mm2/s; mean, 2.70)]). Solid, contrast-enhancing portions of brain tumours (19 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as high-signal areas of sightly decreased or increased ADC (range, 0.77–1.29 [(10–3 mm2/s; mean, 0.94)]). Our preliminary results indicate that DW echo-planar MRI be used for distinguishing between brain abscess and tumour.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002340050726
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