Differential diagnosis by unenhanced FLAIR T2-weighted magnetic resonance images between solitary high grade gliomas and cerebral metastases appearing as contrast-enhancing cortico-subcortical lesions.

The aim was to assess the value of unenhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery T2-weighted sequences (FLAIR-T2) in the differential diagnosis between solitary high-grade gliomas (HGG) and cerebral metastases (CM) appearing as contrast-enhancing cortico-subcortical lesions of the brain. In 69 patients with a contrast-enhancing cortico-subcortical brain lesion (43 HGG, and 26 CM), unenhanced FLAIR-T2 and gadolinium-enhanced FLAIR T1-weighted (Gd-FLAIR-T1) axial images have been reviewed for the involvement of the cortex adjacent to the contrast-enhancing lesion. In 27 (62.79%) out of 43 HGG, and 3 (11.53%) out of 26 CM, the cortex adjacent to the contrast-enhancing lesion showed high signal intensity on unenhanced FLAIR-T2 without enhancement at Gd-FLAIR-T1. Fischer's exact probability test was P = 0.0003 when applied to HGG versus CM categories, indicating a significant difference. The high signal intensity on unenhanced FLAIR-T2 without gadolinium-enhancement of the cortex adjacent to the enhancing lesion is more frequently associated with HGG than CM.

Intracranial involvement in plasmacytomas and multiple myeloma: a pictorial essay.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this pictorial essay is to increase awareness of the clinical presentation, neuroradiological findings, treatment options, and neuroradiological follow-up of plasmacytomas and multiple myeloma with intracranial growth. METHODS: This pictorial essay reviews the clinical features and neuroradiological findings in seven patients (four women, three men; age range at diagnosis 62-82 years) followed in two institutions. Six patients, one with IgG-kappa plasmacytoma, and five with IgG-kappa (n = 3), IgG-lambda (n = 1), and nonsecretory (n = 1) multiple myeloma, had been seen over a period of 9 years in one institution, and the other patient with IgG-kappa plasmacytoma had been seen over a period of 3.5 years in the other. RESULTS: Intracranial involvement is rare, most frequently resulting from osseous lesions in the cranial vault, skull base, nose, or paranasal sinuses. Primary dural or leptomeningeal involvement is rarer. Some typical findings of a dural and/or osseous plasmacytoma include iso- to hyperdensity on CT scan, T1 equal to high signal intensity and T2 markedly hypointense signal on MRI, and high vascularity possibly documented on intraarterial digital subtraction angiography. However, the neuroradiological findings generally lack specificity, since they are generally no different from those of meningioma, metastasis, lymphoma, dural sarcoma, plasma cell granuloma, infectious meningitis, and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. CONCLUSION: The spectrum of clinical and neuroradiological evaluation shows that intracranial involvement from plasmacytoma and multiple myeloma must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of cranial osseous and meningeal disease.

Multiple myeloma involving the cavernous sinus: a report of 3 cases and response to bortezomib.

Intracranial multiple myeloma is uncommon. Cavernous sinus involvement has rarely been reported, generally associated with treatment-refractory disease and poor outcome. We report clinical data and neuroradiologic findings of 3 patients with multiple myeloma and unilateral cavernous sinus involvement. At neuroradiology, this resulted from diffuse bone involvement as disease relapse (n=2) or focal dural disease (n=1) as the presenting sign. Interestingly, bortezomib treatment resulted in complete clinical resolution in 1 patient and partial clinical and significant magnetic resonance response in another, whereas in the literature, local radiation therapy has been reported as the only efficient treatment.