title: Brain stones revisited-between a rock and a hard place.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Large intracranial calcifications are occasionally encountered in routine computed tomography (CT) scans of the brain. These calcifications, also known as "brain stones", can be classified according to location and aetiology. Combining imaging findings with relevant clinical history and physical examination can help narrow down the differential diagnosis and may allow confident diagnosis in certain situations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This article provides a pictorial review illustrating various clinical entities resulting in brain stones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on location, brain stones can be classified as extra- or intra-axial. Extra-axial brain stones comprise tumours and exaggerated physiological calcifications. Intra-axial brain stones can further be classified according to aetiology, namely neoplastic, vascular, infectious, congenital and endocrine/metabolic. Imaging findings combined with essential clinical information can help in narrowing the differential diagnosis, determining disease state and evaluating effect of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Based on location, brain stones can be either extra- or intra-axial. • Extra-axial brain stones comprise tumours and exaggerated physiological calcifications. • Intra-axial aetiologies include neoplastic, vascular, infectious, congenital and endocrine/metabolic. • CT scan is the mainstay in identifying and characterising brain stones. • Certain MRI sequences (gradient echo T2* and susceptibility-weighted imaging) are considered adjunctive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium, froicelzo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Froilan G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Celzo
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Venstermans
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Belder
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Goethem
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van den Hauwe
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Zijden
authors.forename: Maurits
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Voormolen
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menovsky
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Parizel
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