A comparative study of CT and MRI in midline tumors of childhood and adolescence

Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Are Equivalent in Mensuration and Similarly Inaccurate in Grade and Type Predictability of Canine Intracranial Gliomas

While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold-standard imaging modality for diagnosis of intracranial neoplasia, computed tomography (CT) remains commonly used for diagnosis and therapeutic planning in veterinary medicine. Despite the routine use of both imaging modalities, comparison of CT and MRI has not been described in the canine patient. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate CT and MRI studies of 15 dogs with histologically confirmed glioma. Multiple lesion measurements were obtained, including two-dimensional and volumetric dimensions in pre-contrast and post-contrast images. Similar measurement techniques were compared between CT and MRI. The glioma type (astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma) and grade (high or low) were predicted on CT and MRI independently. With the exception of the comparison between CT pre-contrast volume to T2-weighted MRI volume, no other statistical differences between CT and MRI measurements were identified. Overall accuracy for tumor grade (high or low) was 46.7 and 53.3% for CT and MRI, respectively. For predicted tumor type, accuracy of CT was 53.3% and MRI and MRI 60%. Based on the results of this study, both CT and MRI contrast measurement techniques are considered equivalent options for lesion mensuration. Given the low-to-moderate predictability of CT and MRI in glioma diagnosis, histopathology remains necessary for accurate diagnosis of canine brain tumors.

Primary neoplasms of the central nervous system in children

Modern diagnostic imaging techniques are able to detect primary neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) in children safely and accurately but with less specificity as to cell type or degree of malignancy. These neoplasms, often peculiar in cell type and size, mediated by hydrocephalus in their clinical presentation, demand careful and often extensive imaging techniques best to evaluate their geography and character. Added to these basic observations, determination of the neoplasm from surrounding edema, detection of possible spread, and evaluation of residual or recurrent neoplasm are prime responsibilities of the pediatric neuroradiologist toward the child, neurosurgeon, and oncologist.