Haemorrhage detection in brain metastases of lung cancer patients using magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a new, highly-sensitive technique used to detect haemorrhage. This study evaluated the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect haemorrhage in 45 lung cancer patients with brain metastases and compared the results with T2*weighted imaging (T2*WI) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1WI). Eighty-nine haemorrhagic brain metastases were identified in 31 patients using SWI, 68 were identified in 23 patients using T2*WI and 46 were identified in 14 patients using CE-T1WI. Most micro-bleeds could only be identified by SWI. It was concluded that haemorrhage is a frequent occurrence in brain metastases originating from lung cancer and that haemorrhage can be detected using SWI in a majority of brain metastases patients.