ROLE OF 3D-TOF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY FOR INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMA

Three-dimensional (3D) time of flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiogr aphy (MRA) was performed in 13 patients with intracranial meningioma. SD-TOF unenhanced MRA depicted arterial displacement by tumour, and po orly demonstrated the sinuses, veins and tumour mass. The direct visua lization of the venous abnormalities on 3D-TOF MRA was improved by the administration of contrast material. 3D-TOF enhanced MRA simultaneous ly depicted tumour enhancement, arterial and/or venous displacement, a nd dural sinus involvement by the tumour, all of which were in good ag reement with findings on conventional cerebral angiography. However, M RA tended to poorly demonstrate the feeding arteries as compared to co nventional angiography. Our results indicate that multiview SD-TOF enh anced MRA non-invasively provides important information about the topo graphic relationship between tumour mass and the surrounding vasculatu re.