title: Role of intratumoral flow void signs in the differential diagnosis of intracranial solitary fibrous tumors and meningiomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An absence of signal on magnetic resonance (MR) images caused by blood or cerebral spinal fluid flow is known as a flow void, and may be related to intracranial tumors such as intracranial solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) or meningioma. However, the differential diagnosis of these neoplasms based on flow void configuration is controversial. This study investigated common intratumoral flow void patterns for differentiating intracranial SFT from meningioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 2008 to May 2015, 14 patients (10 men, 4 women; 14-63y) received a pathologic diagnosis of primary intracranial SFT, and in 85 patients (23 men, 62 women; 20-76y) a pathologic diagnosis of meningioma was made. Intratumoral flow void signs were retrospectively observed on MR images of all these patients and classified by radiologists blinded to the pathology findings. Statistical significance was established by chi-squared tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In intracranial SFT patients, the sunburst flow void was detected in 1 case (7.1%) and the serpentine in 13 cases (92.9%). In meningioma patients, the sunburst flow void was detected in 82 cases (96.5%) and the serpentine in 3 cases (3.5%). The differences in the prevalence of the flow void types between the 2 groups were significant (χ(2)=64.348; P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracranial SFTs on MR images were more likely to show a serpentine than a sunburst flow void, while the sunburst pattern was far more typical of meningioma. Thus, the pattern of the intratumoral flow void sign may be a useful tool to assist in differentiating these tumors.
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chunhong
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: yikai.xu@163.com.
authors: Yikai
authors: Y
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Xiao
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou Avenue North, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xixi
authors: X
authors: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D054364:Solitary Fibrous Tumors / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Flow void sign; Magnetic resonance imaging; Meningioma; Solitary fibrous tumor