Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast imaging of pontine gliomas: 2 case reports.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging can provide a preoperative diagnosis of pontine glioma, but the findings sometimes do not correspond with the clinical symptoms. We describe 2 cases of pontine gliomas who did not present with motor and sensory disturbance. CASE REPORT: Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast (3DAC) imaging was used to assess the neuronal tracts in 2 patients with pontine gliomas. Conventional MR imaging depicted markedly abnormal findings of abnormally high or heterogeneous signal intensity in the pons in 2 cases. In contrast, 3DAC imaging obviously showed the corticospinal and spinothalamic tracts and cerebellar peduncles without destruction by tumors.
CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast imaging provides more information about damage to the neuronal tracts in cases of pontine gliomas than other MR imaging techniques. This technique may be used for preoperative mapping of the tumor and its relationship to the tracts, thus, providing an accurate road map for tumor resection.