Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Mimicking Tumors and Clues to Prospective Diagnosis
Vascular lesions of the CNS can uncommonly be confused with neoplasms, both by the imaging appearance and clinical symptoms. In these cases, the role of the radiologist is to alert clinicians to the possibility of a vascular lesion and ensure proper imaging to avoid a potentially dangerous
biopsy or a delay in appropriate management. Vascular lesions that are benign, ischemic, inflammatory, or iatrogenic in nature can all present with imaging features that simulate neoplasms. Our aim was to present a series of representative cases that highlight these lesions, with a discussion
of imaging features to aid the correct diagnosis.
Learning Objective: Recognize imaging features of lesions that suggest a vascular rather than neoplastic etiology and the appropriate next steps for diagnosis.
Learning Objective: Recognize imaging features of lesions that suggest a vascular rather than neoplastic etiology and the appropriate next steps for diagnosis.
Keywords: ADC = apparent diffusion coefficient; AV = arteriovenous; BCT = brain capillary telangiectasia; CAA = cerebral amyloid angiopathy; CSF = cerebrospinal fluid; CT = computed tomography; CTA = CT angiography; CTV = CT venography; DAVF = dural arteriovenous fistula; DSA = digital subtraction angiography; DWI = diffusion-weighted imaging; FLAIR = fluid-attenuated inversion recovery; ICA = internal carotid artery; MRA = magnetic resonance angiography; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; MRV= magnetic resonance venography; PACNS = primary angiitis of the CNS; SWI = susceptibility weighting imaging
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: February 1, 2017
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content