Differentiation of cavernous hemangioma from schwannoma of the orbit: a dynamic MRI study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the capability of dynamic contrast MRI to differentiate hemangioma from schwannoma of the orbit.


METHODS
Sixteen patients (three males and 13 females; mean age, 39 +/- 17.3 [SD] years; age range, 10-71 years) with unilateral orbital tumors, including eight cavernous hemangiomas and eight schwannomas, were examined. In addition to conventional MRI, we performed a dynamic contrast study (fast spin-echo sequence, 20-sec interval) after bolus administration of the contrast material (gadopentetate dimeglumine, 0.1 mmol/kg). We evaluated the features of the contrast enhancement spread pattern and the tumors' time-intensity curves.


RESULTS
In the early phase, all the hemangiomas started the enhancement from one point or portion, although all the schwannomas started the enhancement from a wide area. The difference in the contrast-enhancement spread pattern features between the two types of tumors was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The gradient of the time-intensity curve did not show a significant difference.


CONCLUSIONS
Hemangioma and schwannoma of the orbit can be differentiated by the contrast-enhancement spread pattern on dynamic MRI.
Tanaka
Atsuo
A
Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. atsuo@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Mihara
Futoshi
F
Yoshiura
Takashi
T
Togao
Osamu
O
Kuwabara
Yasuo
Y
Natori
Yoshihiro
Y
Sasaki
Tomio
T
Honda
Hiroshi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA