title: Use of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in differential diagnosis between intracerebral necrotic tumors and cerebral abscesses.
abstract: The differential diagnosis between intracerebral necrotic tumors and cerebral abscesses is frequently impossible with conventional MR imaging. We report two cases of cerebral abscesses that showed high signal on diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging and a strongly reduced apparent diffusion coefficient. This appearance was not present in our cases of necrotic/cystic gliomas (eight cases) and necrotic metastases (two cases). We believe that diffusion-weighted MR imaging may be a diagnostic clue in cases of cerebral "ring-enhancing" masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University Hospital V.U.B., Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desprechins
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stadnik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koerts
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shabana
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breucq
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osteaux
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis