ROLE OF MRI IN EVALUATION CEREBELLOPONTINE (CP) ANGLE SCHWANNOMA AND ITS HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION

Abstract

AIM: 1) To evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to localize and characterize cerebellopontine angle Schwannomas

 2) Correlation of MRI findings of CerebelloPontine angle schwannomas with histopathology.

Material & methods: This prospective observational study was carried out on consecutively selected 30 patients of all age group with CT scan findings suggestive of CP angle schwannoma referred for MRI of brain in the Department of Radio-diagnosis, SMS medical college Jaipur from July 2017 to July 2018. MRI was performed on PHILIPS INGENIA 3 TESLA MRI in all cases. All patients underwent surgery and the final diagnosis was made by histopathology. Statistical analysis was applied to find out the Sensitivity, Specificity, Accuracy, PPV and NPV of MRI. P-value < 0.05 was taken as significant.

Results: In the present study, 25 patients diagnosed as schwannoma and 5 patients diagnosed as other benign tumors. Maximum number of schwannoma patients were in the age group of 41-60 years (52%). Final diagnosis was made by histopathology. Sensitivity of MRI for diagnosis schwannoma was 100%, Specificity was 83.3% and Positive predictive value of 96%.         

Conclusion: MRI is considered as an excellent noninvasive investigation for CP angle schwannoma. Signal intensity at MR imaging, enhancement, shape and margins, extent, mass effect, and adjacent bone reaction are also helpful in establishing the diagnosis. 

Keywords: MRI, Schwannoma, Vestibulocochlear nerve.