title: MR of spinal cord ganglioglioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to describe the MR imaging features in a series of spinal intramedullary gangliogliomas and to compare these findings with the MR features of intramedullary astrocytomas and ependymomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed of 76 MR examinations in 27 patients with histologically proved spinal ganglioglioma; these were then compared with imaging findings in a representative sample of histologically proved spinal cord astrocytomas and ependymomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant observations regarding spinal gangliogliomas included young age of the patients (mean, 12 years), long tumor length, presence of tumoral cyst, presence of bone erosion and scoliosis, absence of edema, presence of mixed signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and presence of patchy enhancement and cord surface enhancement. A trend (not statistically significant) was noted for holocord involvement and lack of magnetic susceptibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal ganglioglioma can be strongly suspected if MR images reflect the above criteria; however, the ultimate diagnosis still depends on radical resection and appropriate histopathologic investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, New York University Medical Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Handler
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rorke
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Kricheff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology