MR imaging features and misdiagnosis analysis of Intracranial ganglioglioma

DENG Mingming; DENG Fang; HUANG Cong; ZHANG Hengsheng

Abstract：Objective To evaluate MR features of ganglioglioma (GG) and to analyze cause s of msdiagnosis. Methods The clinical, pathological and imaging findings of 13 pathologically confirmed GG were retrospectively analyzed. Results All the neo-plasms were supratentorial. There were two cases of cystic nodular type,four cases of cystic and solid type and seven cases of solid type. The tumor nodules or solid parts of the tumor showed isointense or slightly hypointensity relative to gray matter on T, WI, slightly hyperintense or hyperintense on T2WI, slightly hyperintense on T2FLAIR. The cystic component signal was similar to the cerebrospinal fluid. In 4 patients with mild edema,DWI showed that the cystic part was hypointense, while the solid part showed equal or slightly hyperintense. Proton magnetic resonance spectrum of three patients showed Cho/NAA and Cho/Cr increasing, and NAA/Cr decreasing. After contrast administration, tumor nodules or solid parts may not be enhanced, mild to severe homoge-neous or uneven strengthening. Ten cases were misdiagnosis,including hemangioblastoma (n=1),dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (n=1), anaplastic astrocytoma (n =2), and glioma (n=6). Conclusion The Mr findings of GG were varied and presented dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma or other tumors, and were easily misdiag-nosed before operation. Fulll recognition of its MR characteristics will help differential diagnosis and improve the preoperative diagnostic rate.