Imaging of desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma: a spectroscopic viewpoint.

PURPOSE: Desmoplastic infantile gangliogliomas (DIG) are rare benign intracranial neoplasms of early childhood with involvement of superficial cerebral cortex and leptomeninges. The purpose of the study was to determine the alterations in metabolite ratios occurring in the neoplasm and combine with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features to narrow down the diagnosis.

METHODS: MR imaging sequences include T1- and T2-weighted sequences, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences, and post-gadolinium-contrast T1-weighted imaging. Single-voxel short TE (1)H MR spectroscopy was used to study the changes in metabolite ratios in the tumor.

RESULTS: Comparison of metabolite ratios between normal brain tissue and tumor-affected region showed lower N-acetyl aspartate to creatine (Cr; 1.58 vs.1.28), higher choline to Cr (0.82 vs.2.03), and no significant change in myo-inositol to Cr (0.42 vs.0.39).

CONCLUSION: MR spectroscopy and imaging provide valuable information in the diagnosis of DIG.