MRI Findings of Primary CNS Lymphoma in 20 Patients of Stereotaxic Ward

PURPOSE: To record the MRI features of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and compare these properties in monofocal and multifocal disease.

METHODS: Eleven cases of monofocal disease were compared to 9 cases of multifocal disease. All patients were examined by non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced MRI. Tumor location, signal intensity, enhancement characteristics, age distribution, peritumoral edema, cystic changes, and the presence of calcifications were assessed. The MRI features were compared between the monofocal and multifocal patients.

RESULTS: There were 20 cases including both the monofocal and multifocal cases. Contrast-enhanced images showed variable enhancement patterns: homogeneous enhancement (14 patients), and hetrogenous enhancement (6 patients). One case of hemorrhage and two cases of cystic formation were observed. Intra-tumoral calcification was not detected. The frontal lobe, the corpus callosum and the basal ganglia were commonly involved in both the monofocal and multifocal lesion.

CONCLUSION: Our data showed that PCNSL has a variable enhancement and edema pattern on MRI. Monofocal PCNSL cases typically have larger size tumors with mild or marked enhancement.