title: Brain abscess and necrotic or cystic brain tumor: discrimination with signal intensity on diffusion-weighted MR imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in signal intensity between brain abscesses and necrotic or cystic tumors on diffusion-weighted MR imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five consecutive patients with proven brain abscesses and four patients with proven cystic or necrotic brain tumors were prospectively evaluated with diffusion-weighted imaging. On diffusion-weighted imaging, brain abscesses showed markedly hyperintense signal in all five patients, whereas necrotic or cystic brain tumors revealed hypointense signal in all four patients. Diffusion-weighted imaging may allow the differentiation of brain abscess from necrotic or cystic brain tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Institute of Radiation Medicine, South Korea.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis