MAGNETIC-RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY OF INTRACRANIAL EPENDYMOMAS - APPEARANCES AND COMPARISON WITH COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

The MRT and CT images of histologically confirmed intracranial ependymomas in 10 patients have been compared. All tumours were demonstrated by CT and MRT. The solid portions of the tumours showed variation in density on CT (hypodense, isodense, hyperdense, or mixed), whereas there was uniform signal intensity on MRT (T1 weighted: hypointense, T2 weighted: hyperintense). Cystic portions of the tumours (6 patients) were shown equally well by both procedures, calcifications were only shown by CT. All ependymomas were related to the ventricles. On unenhanced CT only 3 tumours were clearly delineated, whereas MRT defined all tumours satisfactorily. The significant advantage of MRT is better topographic demonstration of the tumour.