Gadolinium-DTPA in the study of intracranial tumors in the adult
Gregoire, N.; Momose, T.; Rumeau, C.; Perot, S.; Girard, N.; Lavanga, A.; Salamon, G.
Revue Neurologique (Paris) 146(2): 133-143
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-3787 PMID: 2320818 Document Number: 367138
Thirty intracranial tumours were explored by MRI, using T1- and T2-weighted sequences, before and after intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA. Two-thirds of the intra-axial tumours were accurately detected on one section plane by MRI without Gd-DTPA, but in one quarter of the cases Gd-DTPA only delineated precisely the tumour. On the other hand, Gd-DTPA failed to detect certain tumours (benign gliomas) or showed only a small part of them (mixed grade gliomas), while they were detected by MRI without contrast injection. However, in such cases Gd-DTPA was useful for the stereotaxic biopsy of the tumour. Gd-DTPA appears of lesser interest in extra-axial tumours. Gd-DTPA is thus valuable for the neuroradiological diagnosis of brain tumours, particularly to evaluate the grade of gliomas and to confirm the diagnosis of recurrent growths.