Magnetic resonance imaging in gangliogliomas and gangliocytomas of the nervous system.

Gangliogliomas and gangliocytomas are rare and benign neuronal tumors which affect young subjects. This study concerns 3 cases of ganglioglioma and 3 cases of gangliocytoma explored by CT and MRI and confirmed by pathological examination. The most typical CT image was that of an often calcified contrast-enhanced cystic tumor. At MRI, each tumor emitted a low-intensity signal on T1-weighted sequences and a high-intensity signal on T2-weighted sequences. Contrast enhancement after gadolinium injection was frequent. Neuroradiology is not specific, and these tumors are usually diagnosed at pathology. However, the diagnosis may be considered in young patients with a history of old, drug-resistant partial epilepsy and having a contrast-enhanced, calcified cystic lesion in the temporal lobe or the cerebellum.