title: Alanine peak in central neurocytomas on proton MR spectroscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We present three consecutive patients with central neurocytoma in whom proton MRS demonstrated the presence of alanine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients in the age range 24 to 30 years underwent MRI and proton MRS using a 1.5-T system. MRS was performed with the multivoxel PRESS sequence. All three patients underwent surgery and the diagnosis of central neurocytoma was established by histopathological examination and immunostaining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With an echo time of 135 ms glycine, high choline, small NAA and alanine were observed in all three patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alanine may be observed in central neurocytomas as it is in meningiomas. Other spectral peaks such as those for glycine and NAA should help to identify this tumor correctly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, 695011, India. b_krish1@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Jeyadevan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D018306:Neurocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000409:Alanine