[Neuroradiological differential diagnosis in medulloblastomas and ependymomas: results of the HIT'91-study].
BACKGROUND
Imaging criteria of medulloblastomas and ependymomas were defined retrospectively to allow a preoperative differential diagnosis of these malignant tumors of the posterior fossa.


METHODS
CT and/or MR-studies of 103 patients with medulloblastomas and 19 ependymomas treated in the HIT'91-trial were centrally reviewed. Evaluation concerned the origin, CT-density or MR-signal intensity, enhancement, internal structural homogeneity and results of staging of the tumors.


RESULTS
Medulloblastomas and Ependymomas showed different results concerning all imaging criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of differences in localisation, enhancement and tumor growth in most cases a preoperative differential diagnosis between medulloblastomas and ependymomas is possible. Increased density on CT allows the differentiation of the malignant tumors from pilocytic astrocytomas of the fourth ventricle.
Warmuth-Metz
M
M
Abteilung für Neuroradiologie, Universität Würzburg, Germany. warmuth@neuroradiologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
Kühl
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002551:Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed