Limitations of MRI in differentiating solid and cystic components of craniopharyngiomas

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Küçük Resim

Tarih

2025

Dergi Başlığı

Dergi ISSN

Cilt Başlığı

Yayıncı

Springer Nature Link

Erişim Hakkı

info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess

Araştırma projeleri

Organizasyon Birimleri

Dergi sayısı

Özet

Purpose Craniopharyngiomas (CP) present with both solid and cystic structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stud ies. Contrary to MRI appearance, components described as cysts are not infrequently found as non-fluent structures during surgery. This study aims to address the discrepancy between radiology and surgery regarding the nature of these lesions and to evaluate them for their preoperative predictability. Materials and methods Preoperative MRI images of 24 CP patients were analyzed. The cystic components of the tumors were assessed in terms of quantitative and qualitative signal properties and contrast enhancement on conventional pulse sequences, and analyzed based on their macroscopic appearances. Results Thirteen of 31 lesions (42%) that suggested cyst on MRI were solid during surgery, with none showing contrast uptake. MRI demonstrated 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV), 71.7% specificity, and 58% positive pre dictive value (PPV) in identifying true cysts. Most lesions resembling cysts were hyperintense on FLAIR and T1WI and isointense on ADC maps, suggesting high protein content. However, surgically confirmed fluid-filled cysts exhibited similar signal characteristics in a comparable proportion. The only significant imaging indicator was a hypointense appearance on T2WI, with a mean intensity ratio close to that of the basal ganglia. Conclusion Accurate identification of solid and cystic components in craniopharyngiomas is critical for effective treatment planning. Although MRI is traditionally considered reliable for this purpose, 42% of lesions that appeared cystic without contrast enhancement were ultimately confirmed as non-fluid or solid during surgery. This study was unable to establish definitive MRI characteristics to reliably differentiate between cystic and solid components. Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate potential imaging markers and improve diagnostic accuracy.

Açıklama

Anahtar Kelimeler

Craniopharyngioma, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cystic Craniopharyngioma

Kaynak

Child's Nervous System

WoS Q Değeri

Q3

Scopus Q Değeri

Q2

Cilt

41

Sayı

1

Künye

Karaalioğlu, B., Çakıcı Öksüz, N., İpek, V., Çakır, A., Kahraman, O., & Özbek, M. A. (2025). Limitations of MRI in differentiating solid and cystic components of craniopharyngiomas. Child's Nervous System, 41(1), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-025-06941-y