CT and MRI of haemorrhage into intracranial neuromas.

Abstract

Six patients with haemorrhage into intracranial neuromas were studied by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 0.5 T with spin-echo pulse sequences. The nature of the tumour and the presence of a haematoma were confirmed by surgery and microscopic examination in all cases. Four neuromas arose from the acoustic nerves and two from the trigeminal. Four of the six patients suffered from sudden onset or rapid worsening of symptoms including headache, vertigo and/or hemifacial motor and sensory disturbances. CT in the acute stage revealed a hyperdense area or a fluid-fluid level (FFL). The hyperdense area disappeared on CT repeated in the chronic stage. On MRI in subacute and chronic stages the haemorrhage showed hyperintensity on both T1 and T2 weighting in five cases examined between 16 and 46 days after the onset, and isointensity on T1 weighting and an FFL on T2 weighting in one case examined 12 days after the onset of symptoms. A well-defined low intensity rim indicating prior haemorrhage was observed on T2-weighted images in three cases. MRI was more effective than CT in detecting haemorrhage into the tumours and in staging it.