Imaging features of intracranial chondromas at unusual locations / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the imaging features of intracranial chondromas at unusual locations.Methods Six patients with intracranial chondroma conformed by surgery and histopathology (3 lesions located at the convexity,and the others located at the falx cerebri),admitted to our hospital from February 2010 to April 2011,were chosen in our study; their imaging features were retrospectively analyzed.Results CT scans showed obvious calcification and clear borders of the tumors in 5 patients,and the mixed attenuation and adjacent bone invasion in 2 patients.MRI scans demonstrated that the parenchyma of the tumors had hyperintense on T1WI and hyperintense on T2WI,and the calcified elements of the tumors had hyperintense on TlW1 and hypointensity on T2WI; tumor bleeding lesions had hyperintense on T2WI and hypointensity on T1WI; the characteristic sign,"foamy sign",was found in 3 patients.Obvious inhomogeneous enhancement was observed in one and slight enhancement in 3 patients,while other two patients showed no enhancement.Conclusion Intracranial chondromas arising from the unusual locations is often misdiagnosed; combined imaging findings,including giant mass,and globular or diffuse calcification,can be helpful in the preoperative diagnosis.