MR imaging of epidermoids at the cerebellopontine angle

The most common location of intracranial epidermoid is the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). The present study compared the visibility of epidermoid at the CPA in various pulse sequences. Seven patients with epidermoid at the CPA underwent conventional MR imaging (T(1)-, T(2)- and proton density-weighted imaging) as well as diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging. Fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) sequences, and MR cisternography were employed for selected patients. The signal intensity of the lesions relative to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the degree of lesion demarcation and the displacement of surrounding structures were evaluated. Proton density-weighted imaging depicted the lesions as hyper-intense to CSF with clearer delineation than T(1)- and T(2)-weighted imaging. Diffusion-weighted imaging depicted all lesions as strongly hyper-intense relative to CSF and brain tissue. FLAIR sequences depicted the lesions with mixed signal intensities but with poor-to-medium demarcation. MTC imaging increased delineation of the lesions to some degree. MR cisternography depicted the lesions as hypo-intense to CSF and clearly showed the anatomical relation to neighboring nerves and vessels. We concluded that diffusion-weighted imaging could specifically reveal an epidermoid at the CPA as a strongly hyper-intense lesion, and that MR cisternography is mandatory for preoperative planning.