Central nervous system lesions in pediatric patients: Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging.

Twenty pediatric patients, aged 2-18 years, with known or suspected masses in the brain and/or spinal cord were studied with magnetic resonance imaging at 0.6T with and without use of 0.1 mmol/kg gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). The multisection, multiecho imaging mode was utilized. Surgically proved mass lesions included astrocytoma (n = 6), medulloblastoma (n = 2), ependymoma (n = 1), craniopharyngioma (n = 1), oligodendroglioma (n = 1), germinoma (n = 1) and fibrosarcoma (n = 1). Presumptive diagnoses included astrocytoma (n = 3), arachnoid cyst (n = 1), tuberous sclerosis (n = 1), cryptic vascular malformation (n = 1), and normal (n = 1). There was dramatic enhancement in 11 of 20 patients, with improved definition of the presence and extent of lesions in six patients. No adverse effects were noted in any of the 20 patients. It is concluded that Gd-DTPA is useful in delineating the presence, extent, and number of certain lesions of the central nervous system in children.