THE CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF PRIMARY BRAIN NEOPLASMS IN CHILDREN .2. RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Data collected over the past 8 years on the radiological appearance of common pediatric primary brain neoplasms are presented. An emphasis i s placed on the newer radiological imaging modality of magnetic resona nce imaging (MRI). Part I of this article emphasized the clinical eval uation of these brain neoplasms. Three hundred eighty-five children wi th known brain neoplasms ranging in age from newborn to 18 years were evaluated with one or all of the following radiological modalities: MR I, computed tomography (CT), water-soluble myelography (WSM), WSM with CT, and angiography. Contrast-enhanced MRI and CT scans both were acc urate in delineating these brain neoplasms although MRI provided bette r resolution and delineation than CT. Angiography provided information on the vascularity of the neoplasms and their relationship to promine nt arterial and venous structures. Water-soluble myelography with CT a nd gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the spine were equally accurate in demon strating metastatic spread to the spinal canal and spinal cord. Magnet ic resonance imaging with gadolinium was more accurate than CT with co ntrast in demonstrating recurrent or residual neoplasm at the operativ e site and metastatic spread to the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium is the best radiological modality to fully evaluate pe diatric brain neoplasms.