Intracranial ganglioglioma: CT and MRI findings

Thirteen cases of pathologically proved intracranial gangliogliomas were reviewed in order to define the characteristic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI)-features. All patients were evaluated with CT and four of them were studied by MRI. Six tumors were cystic dominant mixed masses with remarkable focal contrast enhancement (6/13, 46%); and seven were solid in nature with variable contrast enhancement (7/13, 54%). Nine of them contained calcification (9/13, 69%). The temporal lobe was affected in six patients (6/13, 46%); the posterior fossa in four patients; the frontal lobe in two; the remaining huge one in the frontal, temporal and basal ganglion. On MRI, the findings were similar to those of the CT. Gangliogliomas do not have a characteristic CT and MRI features. They may appear as pure cystlike tumors, cystic dominant mixed tumors with remarkable focal contrast enhancement, solid tumors with variable contrast enhancement or diffuse involving the brain parenchyma and/or subarachnoid spaces. However, radiologists should include ganglioglioma in the differential diagnosis when we find patient has a long-standing process as well as a calcified tumor in the temporal lobe with following characteristic; cystic dominant mixed tumor with remarkable focal contrast enhancement, or a solid mass without hemorrhage or significant surrounding edema.