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01-09-2011 | Review Article

Neuroradiological Viewpoint on the Diagnostics of Space-Occupying Brain Lesions

Authors: J. Faehndrich, S. Weidauer, U. Pilatus, A. Oszvald, F. E Zanella, E. Hattingen, MD

Published in: Clinical Neuroradiology | Issue 3/2011

Abstract

Conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of space-occupying lesions may answer most of the questions concerning the diagnosis and subsequent treatment strategies if patient age, clinical and paraclinical findings are considered as well. However, crucial and relevant differential diagnoses require additional MR methods, such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In necrotic ring-enhancing lesions DWI may detect inflammatory processes, whereas characteristics of the peritumoral area may help to distinguish between metastases and glioblastomas. In solid tumors DWI, PWI and MRS may also aid the differentiation between low-grade gliomas and malignant tumors, such as gliomas WHO (World Health Organization) grade III and IV and lymphomas. This review briefly explains special MR methods with respect to brain tumors and illustrates the diagnostic pathways necessary for supplying a reliable diagnosis as well as optimal pre-operative imaging of space-occupying brain lesions.

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Title: Neuroradiological Viewpoint on the Diagnostics of Space-Occupying Brain Lesions
Authors: J. Faehndrich
S. Weidauer
U. Pilatus
A. Oszvald
F. E Zanella
E. Hattingen, MD
Publication date: 01-09-2011
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Clinical Neuroradiology / Issue 3/2011
Print ISSN: 1869-1439
Electronic ISSN: 1869-1447
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-011-0073-6

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Neuroradiological Viewpoint on the Diagnostics of Space-Occupying Brain Lesions

Abstract

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