Brain abscess and necrotic or cystic brain tumor: discrimination with signal intensity on diffusion-weighted MR imaging.
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.
Kim
Y J
YJ
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Institute of Radiation Medicine, South Korea.
Chang
K H
KH
Song
I C
IC
Kim
H D
HD
Seong
S O
SO
Kim
Y H
YH
Han
M H
MH
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