Radiology, Vol 128, 57-63, Copyright © 1978 by Radiological Society of North America
Computed tomography in the follow-up of medulloblastomas and ependymomas
DR Enzmann, D Norman, V Levin, C Wilson and TH Newton
The course of 36 patients with medulloblastoma and ependymoma was evaluated
prospectively by clinical examination, radionuclide (RN) studies and
computed tomography (CT). Seventeen of the 36 patients (47%) had tumor
recurrence. Twelve (41%) of the 29 patients with medulloblastoma had
recurrent tumors of which 7 of 12 (58%) were at the primary site and 2 of
12 (17%) were within the ventricles while 10 of 12 (83%) were in the
subarachnoid space. Five of the 7 patients with ependymoma had recurrent
tumors. In 4 of the 5 patients tumor recurred at the primary site while
subarachnoid seeding occurred in 2 of 5 patients (40%) and intraventricular
metastases were found in 4 of 5 patients (80%). Progressive ventricular
enlargement often accompanied subarachnoid seeding, presumably secondary to
obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in the subarachnoid pathways.
CT and RN scans were frequently complementary in detecting tumor
recurrence.
