MR Findings of Chondroblastoma with Emphasis on Enhancement Pattern

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To analyze the MR findings of chondroblastoma and peritumoral bone marrow, focussing on the enhancement pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enhanced MR images obtained from 23 patients with pathologically proven chondroblastoma were retrospectively reviewed by three radiologists. The enhancement pattern was classified as one of three types homogeneous, heterogeneous, or peripheral rim, while peritumoral bone marrow enhancement was assigned one of four grades. Correlation between the enhancement pattern and T2 signal intensity of a tumor was analyzed by Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The enhancement pattern was homogeneous in ten cases, heterogeneous in six, and involved the peripheral rim in seven. In 11 cases, peritumoral bone marrow enhancement was observed. Among the ten instances of homogeneous enhancement the signal intensity seen at T2WI was homogeneously iso or low in six cases, homogeneously high in two, and heterogeneous in two. Among the seven cases in which there was peripheral rim enhancement, the signal intensity observed at T2WI was homogeneously high in three, fluid-fluid level in three, and homogeneously iso or low in one. CONCLUSION: At MR imaging, chondroblastoma shows variable signal intensities and enhancement patterns. The peripheral rim enhancement observed at T2WI correlated with homogeneously high signal intensity or fluid-fluid levels.