title: Neuroimaging findings in the initial phase of development of high grade cortical astrocytomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the neuroradiological characteristics of a series of high grade cortical astrocytomas in the initial phase of development and their pattern of growth during a short time period.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective observational study of the neuroradiological findings in six patients diagnosed with high grade astrocytoma. All presented with a new onset epileptic seizure and focal supratentorial cortical lesions. The diagnosis was established after a short period of clinical and radiological follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a small cortical lesion that was hyperintense in T2-weighted sequences in all six patients. This lesion showed slight or moderate enhancement after the administration of a contrast agent in five patients. All six patients underwent follow-up MRI within six months of the initial MRI examination (mean 79 days). Follow-up MRI showed marked growth of the lesions in all cases, and the histological diagnosis of high grade astrocytoma (glioblastoma in five patients and anaplastic oligoastrocytoma in one) was established after surgical debulking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High grade astrocytomas originating in the supratentorial cortex can have an atypical neuroradiological presentation in the early stages. High grade astrocytoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of a cortical lesion that enhances slightly or moderately after the administration of contrast material in a patient with a new onset epileptic seizure.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Resonancia Magnética (IDI), Servicio de Radiología, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simonet Redondo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auger Acosta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovira-Gols
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toledo Argany
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarria Estrada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovira Cañellas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies