A STUDY ON ROLE OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) IN INTRACRANIAL SPACE OCCUPYING LESIONS

Abstract

Background: The high morbidity and mortality associated with Intracranial Space Occupying Lesions necessitates their early diagnosis so as to plan the intervention that is required. In the present study cases of either clinically suspected brain space occupying lesions or already diagnosed cases of brain space occupying lesions were studied by cross sectional imaging of MRI.

Methodology: The present cross-sectional study was conducted presented with symptoms of raised ICT of sub acute onset & had lateralizing sign. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared and demographic and clinical data like age, sex, symptoms and various morphological characters of Supratentorial SOLs were studied. A clinico-radiological correlation and confirmation of Radiological diagnosis was done by biopsy/surgery/MRI whenever possible to minimize patient follow up.

Results: Majority of the patients were in the fourth decade (28.5%). Metastases were the most common single group of intracranial space occupying lesion (27%), Gliomas were the most common brain tumors (31.4%). Of the Gliomas, astrocytomas accounted for (81.8%). Most common hemisphere to be involved was the parietal lobe (31.4%). Intra-axial involvement (78.58 %) was most common localization in present study. Edema was the most common associated MRI finding (74.3%).

Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of MRI in evaluation of intracranial space occupying lesion was 98.57 %. MRI remains the first line investigation for diagnosing and evaluation Intracranial space occupying lesion with a reasonable degree of diagnostic accuracy and with the advent of newer modifications of MRI such as MR Spectroscopy, 3-Tesla MRI, and newer techniques like MR Perfusion.