title: Intracranial epidermoid tumors. A continuing diagnostic challenge.
abstract: Epidermoid tumors are benign, slowly growing intracranial masses that still present difficulty in preoperative diagnosis. This article reviews six cases of histologically proven epidermoid tumors. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were complementary in their evaluation. Computed tomography demonstrated a hypodense, smoothly contoured extra-axial paramedian mass with lower density than cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging usually demonstrated an irregularly but sharply marginated mass with inhomogeneous density, variable enhancement with gadolinium, lack of edema in adjacent normal structures, extensive insinuation into cisternal and other cerebrospinal fluid spaces, and a high-signal intensity on proton-weighted images. Multiplanar magnetic resonance imaging was extremely helpful in displaying the full anatomic extent of the lesion and its relationship with other structures.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Service, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Panagopoulos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: el-Azouzi
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Jolesz
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed