title: MRI features of spinal epidural angiolipomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the MRI findings in ten patients of spinal epidural angiolipoma for differentiated diagnosis presurgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten surgically proved cases of spinal epidural angiolipomas were retrospectively reviewed, and the lesion was classified according to the MR findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten tumors were located in the superior (n = 4), middle (n = 2), or inferior (n = 4) thoracic level. The mass, with the spindle shape, was located in the posterior epidural space and extended parallel to the long axis of the spine. All lesions contained a fat and vascular element. The vascular content, correlating with the presence of hypointense regions on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and hyperintense signals on T2-weighted imaging, had marked enhancement. However, there were no flow void signs on MR images. All tumors were divided into two types based on the MR features. In type 1 (n = 3), the mass was predominantly composed of lipomatous tissue (> 50%) and contained only a few small angiomatous regions, which had a trabeculated or mottled appear. In type 2 (n = 7), the mass, however, was predominantly composed of vascular components (> 50%), which presented as large foci in the center of the mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most spinal epidural angiolipomas exhibit hyperintensity on T1WI while the hypointense region on the noncontrast T1WI indicates to be vascular, which manifests an obvious enhancement with gadolinium administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu 215006, China.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chun-hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiao-yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xi-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Xiang-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018206:Angiolipoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015174:Epidural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blood vessels; Epidural neoplasms; Lipoma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Spinal canal
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