title: Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging after surgical resection of brain tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, metal artifacts have posed an important diagnostic problem in different fields of medicine. However, this has not been systematically studied in patients undergoing surgery for brain tumors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was planned to assess whether metal artifacts can occur in patients undergoing brain surgery without metallic implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 40 individuals who could be included because of having a pre- and postoperative MRI and a postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan or a conventional skull X-ray for the detection of metallic artifacts, 26 patients agreed to participate in this study and gave informed consent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six subjects, 12 males and 14 females, with an age range of 12 to 54 years, were included in the study. Four patients were found to have gross metal particles in their postoperative brain CTs and were excluded. Of the remaining 22 subjects, 7 patients (31.8%) had metallic artifacts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that simple bone drilling or chiseling during surgical manipulation of skull bones may result in separation of very tiny metal particles which can remain in the surgical site and cause artifacts in postoperative MRIs. This finding appeared to be independent of factors such as age, sex, tumor/incision site, tumor size, pathologic tumor type, total radiation dose, operation-MRI time interval and sequence of MRI.
authors: Medical Imaging Research Center, Namazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. bagherih@sums.ac.ir
authors: Mohammad Hadi
authors: MH
authors: Bagheri
authors: Niloofar
authors: N
authors: Ahmadloo
authors: Shahed
authors: S
authors: Rezaian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008670:Metals