Contrast enhancement in primary tumors of the brain and spinal cord.

The patterns of contrast enhancement by CT and MR imaging for most intramedullary primary tumors of the brain and spinal cord are discussed. Contrast administration allows for the separation of tumor from normal neighboring tissues in most cases. Although most of the published data refer to contrast-enhanced CT scanning, gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging has become the modality of choice in the evaluation of primary central nervous system tumors.