A false lesion in the center of the pons on magnetic resonance images

Three-hundred pediatric patients were evaluated for pontine signal abnormal ities with special reference to small nodular, central pontine lesions. The ages of the patients ranged from 1 year to 17 years (mean = 7.3 years). Th ere were 157 males and 143 females. The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging exa minations were performed at 0.5 Tesla. There were 26 cases out of the 300 p atients with pontine involvement due to a variety of clinically proved diso rders. Except for these, we noted four patients with nodular, central ponti ne changes in the remaining 274 cases (four out of 274 = approximately 1.5% ). These appeared as hyperintense foci on T2-weighted images, and hypointen se on T1-weighted images. They were approximatey 2-3 mm in diameter, and co nfined exactly to the middle of the pens. There was no clinical corresponde nce for these. The condition was attributed to an artefact created by a rel atively deep interpedincular cistern leading to a volume-averaging effect. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.