Table 2 Clinical and imaging features of common pathologies mimicking medulloblastoma
Diagnosis | Common features |
|---|---|
Meningioma | Short duration of symptoms, lack of cranial nerve involvement, and bony hyperostosis A well-demarcated lesion Follow the gray matter signal intensity |
Cholesteatoma | A destructive lesion with bony erosion Restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted images |
Nerve sheath tumor | Destruction of the internal auditory canal Follow the signal intensity of the white matter Cystic degeneration and hemorrhagic components are common |
Epidermoid inclusion cyst | Follow the signal intensity of CSF with incomplete FLAIR suppression Restricted diffusion and no enhancement on post-contrast images |
Metastasis | History of a primary malignant lesion Metastatic work-up to look for other masses |
Primary bone tumor | Bony origin with erosion and a calcification or ossification pattern |
Choroid plexus papilloma | Well-defined lesion located in the foramen of Luschka Feathery appearance with restricted diffusion and intense postcontrast enhancement |
Hemangioblastoma | Young and middle-aged adults High intrinsic vascularity, as evidenced by high rCBV values on perfusion MRI If multiple, strong association with VHL syndrome |
Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor | Heterogenous solid-cystic mass occurring off-midline in children < 3 years of age |
Pilocytic astrocytoma | Cystic lesion with a pathognomonic mural nodule Hypodense on CT images |