BACKGROUND: Irradiation to the central nervous system (CNS) in childhood is known to induce cerebral calcification after a latent period. Calcification has been generally found to show nil or a reduction in signal intensity in magnetic resonance (MR) images. However, we have studied three patients with radiation-induced brain calcification, who manifested increased signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images. METHOD: Three girls had each been diagnosed as having a suprasellar germ cell tumour and were treated with conventional fractionated radiotherapy in their childhood. In one case, chemotherapy was given prior to the CNS irradiation. FINDINGS: All three patients survived their disease, and a follow-up CT scan revealed calcification in the brain, which has shown an increased signal intensity in the T1-weighted images of MR. INTERPRETATION: Cerebral calcification may be presented as a high signal intensity in the T1-weighted MR images. This may be explained by a surface-relaxation effect by the calcium salt particle, precipitated in the brain due to radiation-induced mineralising microangiopathy.
BACKGROUND: Irradiation to the central nervous system (CNS) in childhood is known to induce cerebral calcification after a latent period. Calcification has been generally found to show nil or a reduction in signal intensity in magnetic resonance (MR) images. However, we have studied three patients with radiation-induced brain calcification, who manifested increased signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images. METHOD: Three girls had each been diagnosed as having a suprasellar germ cell tumour and were treated with conventional fractionated radiotherapy in their childhood. In one case, chemotherapy was given prior to the CNS irradiation. FINDINGS: All three patients survived their disease, and a follow-up CT scan revealed calcification in the brain, which has shown an increased signal intensity in the T1-weighted images of MR. INTERPRETATION:Cerebral calcification may be presented as a high signal intensity in the T1-weighted MR images. This may be explained by a surface-relaxation effect by the calcium salt particle, precipitated in the brain due to radiation-induced mineralising microangiopathy.
Authors: Deborah T Blumenthal; Orna Aisenstein; Idan Ben-Horin; Dafna Ben Bashat; Moran Artzi; Benjamin W Corn; Andrew A Kanner; Zvi Ram; Felix Bokstein Journal: J Neurooncol Date: 2015-05-05 Impact factor: 4.130
Authors: L R Rogers; J Gutierrez; L Scarpace; L Schultz; S Ryu; B Lord; B Movsas; J Honsowetz; R Jain Journal: J Neurooncol Date: 2010-05-20 Impact factor: 4.130
Authors: Sebastiano Barbieri; Christophe Schroeder; Johannes M Froehlich; Andreas Pasch; Harriet C Thoeny Journal: Contrast Media Mol Imaging Date: 2016-01-11 Impact factor: 3.161