Contrast Enhancement Response of Intracranial Neoplasms — Its Validity for the Differential Diagnosis of Tumors in CT

Abstract

The i.v. administration of iodinated contrast media priorto a repeated CT scan has developed in to a routine method particularly in the diagnosis of in tracranial neoplasms, since early experience revealed that most of the tumors could be visualized better in the post contrast scan due to an increase of X-ray attenuation with in the lesion.More over, by contrast enhancement the structural properties of tumors are defined more precisely in the CT scan as vascularized solid tumor parts respond with increased attenuation, where as necrotic and cystic tumor portions are not enhanced. Our studies deal with the question as to what extent contrast enhancement response may provide additional information with regard to a differential diagnosis of intracranial tumors.