Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of postoperative intracranial dissemination of recurrent gliomas

Ten intracranial gliomas cases, that had postoperative intracranial dissemination, underwent magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） examinations, including T1 weighted imaging, fat-suppressed T1 weighted imaging, T2 weighted imaging and fluid attenuated inversion recovery （FLAIR）. Results showed that tumor metastasis had occurred via the cerebrospinal fluid, the brain white matter fibers and the surgical access site alone. On the plain MRI scans, 1/7 cases were linearly thickened with isointensity and 5/7 cases exhibited nodular foci on T1 weighted imaging; the cerebral sulci and cisterns in 2/7 cases had become shallow and five cases had nodular foci on T2 weighted imaging. FLAIR imaging revealed that the cerebral sulci and cisterns in 2/7 cases had become shallow and that six cases had affected nodular foci. The contrast-enhanced MRI scans revealed linear thickening in seven cases, nodules in seven cases, similarities to ＂mould-like＂ signs in six cases and hydrocephalus in six cases. These findings suggested that MRI with different sequences can diagnose glioma metastasis.