MRI Findings of Temporal Lobe Ganglioglioma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Ganglioglioma is a rare primary brain tumor usually found in the temporal lobe. The purpose of thisstudy is to describe the characteristic MR findings of temporal lobe ganglioglioma. MATERILA AND METHODS: Over aseven-year period, ten patients with cerebral ganglioglioma were evaluated at our institution. Seven cases oftemporal lobe ganglioma were found ; six of these involved men, and one, a woman ; their mean age was 29.6 years.In three patients, Gd-DTPA-enhanced T1 weighted images were also obtained. We retrospectively analysed the MRIfindings with respect to location, size, cortical involvement, margin, cystic change, degree of enhancement, MRsignal intensity, calcification and peritumoral change. RESULTS: In five cases, tumors were located within thetemporal lobe. In one, a tumor extended from the temporal lobe to the thalamus, and in one from the temporal lobeto the thalamus and cerebral peduncle. All temporal gangliogliomas measured 1.6-3.8cm in their greatestdiameter(mean diameter, 2.7cm). In all cases, the cortices were involved with the maintenance of gyriform. Thetumor margin was ill defined in five cases and well defined in two. Tumors showed multiple small cystic changes infour cases, a large cyst in two, and a solid nodule in one. In three cases in which contrast media wasadministered, no lesions were enhanced. On T1-weighted images, iso-signal intensities were seen in five cases andhigh signal intensities in two. On T2-weighted images, the corresponding figures were five and two. On MRI, tumorcalcification and calvarial erosion were each detected in two cases. CONCLUSION: In patients with temporal lobeepilepsy in whom cortical solid or cystic and poorly enhanced lesions were seen on brain MRI, and in whomaccociated findings such as calcification and or adjacent bony erosion were noted, ganglioglioma must beconsidered.