[Contrast enhanced fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery MR imaging for diagnosing cerebral venous angioma: report of two cases]

No To Shinkei. 2003 Jun;55(6):537-41.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

It has been reported that contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) sequences were useful for detecting superficial abnormalities, such as meningeal disease, because they do not demonstrate contrast enhancement of cortical vessels with slow flow as do T1-weighted images. We reported the usefulness of contrast-enhanced FLAIR images to differentiate cerebral venous angioma from tumor in two patients. Case 1 was a 71-year-old man developed cortical hemorrhage. Post contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed an enhanced lesion around the hematoma, whereas contrast-enhanced FLAIR images showed no enhancement of the lesion, thus he was diagnosed as cortical hemorrhage from cerebral venous angioma. Case 2 was a 72-year-old woman, who was examined MR images because of the jugular foramen neurinoma. There was a T2-high-intensity lesion in the right frontal lobe, and post contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed an enhanced lesion in and around the T2-high-intensity lesion. Post-contrast FLAIR images showed no enhancement, and she was diagnosed as cerebral venous angioma. Contrast-enhanced fast FLAIR sequences was useful in differentiation between venous angiomas and tumors. Identification of these lesions was due to the flow-void phenomenon in vessels with slow-flowing blood such as venous angioma, which could not be differentiated from tumors on T1-weighted images.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Central Nervous System Venous Angioma / diagnosis*
  • Contrast Media
  • Female
  • Gadolinium DTPA
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gadolinium DTPA