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Postmortem MRI of the brain with neuropathological correlation

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

We prospectively correlated in vitro MRI of the brain with the neuropathological findings in patients with suspected intracranial disease. In vitro MRI was performed on 91 consecutive formalinfixed whole-brain specimens. In 60 cases, the images were correlated with the neuropathological findings (number of lesions, lesion boundaries, spread of oedema and type of lesions). As compared with neuropathology, MRI showed an equal number of lesions in 50 cases, more in 5, and less in 5 specimens, resulting in a sensitivity of 83.3%. The extent of perilesional oedema was better seen on in vitro MRI than on gross pathology. Microscopic extent of glial tumours was underestimated on both T2-weighted images and macroscopic examination. Neuropathology remains the reference study, since on in vitro MRI primary brain tumours, metastatic deposits and non-neoplastic space-occupying lesions cannot be differentiated. However, in our study MRI had a specificity of 76.6%. MRI of postmortem specimens is sensitive to focal brain lesions, and can foucus the attention of the neuropathologist to abnormal regions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650, Edegem, Belgium

    L. van den Hauwe, P. M. Parizel & A. M. A. De Schepper

  2. Department of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen, Aniwerp, Belgium

    J. J. Martin & P. Cras

  3. Department of Neuropathology (Born-Bunge Foundation), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    J. J. Martin & P. Cras

  4. Department of Neurology, Algemeen Zickenhuis Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium

    P. De Deyn

  5. Department of Neurochemistry and Behaviour (Born-Bunge Foundation), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    P. De Deyn

Authors
  1. L. van den Hauwe
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  2. P. M. Parizel
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  3. J. J. Martin
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  4. P. Cras
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  5. P. De Deyn
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  6. A. M. A. De Schepper
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van den Hauwe, L., Parizel, P.M., Martin, J.J. et al. Postmortem MRI of the brain with neuropathological correlation. Neuroradiology 37, 343–349 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588007

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588007

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