Magnetic resonance tomography of intracranial tumors: use of contrast media versus T2-weighted tomograms

Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography was performed on 38 patients with intracranial tumours, before and after the administration of contrast, using a 0.35 T Magnetom. The MR examinations included various plain spin-echo sequences (SE 400/35, 800/35, 1600/35, 1600/70, 1600/105, 1600/120) as well as examinations after the iv-administration of gadolinium-DTPA (SE 800/35). On all occasions, the abnormalities were visible without contrast. Differentiation of tumour and its surroundings was possible in 19 out of 38 cases without contrast. Delineation of expansively growing tumours (eg. meningiomas) was possible in twelve out of 14 cases, but in only seven out of 24 cases with infiltrating tumours (eg. glioblastomas). On the other hand, clear differentiation between tumour and adjacent edema and normal brain, respectively, was possible in 35 out of 38 cases after Gadolinium-DTPA.