MR angiography of meningioma

The clinical evaluation of three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography was prospectively performed in 16 patients with intracranial meningioma. MR angiographic techniques used in this study both with and without gadopentetate dimeglumine made it possible to demonstrate the topographic relationship between the tumors and the neighboring vascular structures. MR angiograms were compared with available conventional angiograms. The three-dimensional enhanced MR angiograms were successful in depicting sinus involvement in greater detail in six patients than conventional angiography. In six patients, the feeding arteries of meningiomas were demonstrated with the unenhanced MR angiograms. However, MR angiograms failed to show small feeding arteries in three patients as delineated with conventional angiography. Arterial displacement was shown in nine patients. Venous drainage and collateral circulations were also visualized in four patients. Our results indicate that multiview MR angiograms noninvasively provide useful information for planning the surgical treatment of patients with meningioma.