An evaluation of CT and MRI for the diagnosis of cerebral metastases.

Abstract

Cerebral metastases involve the transfer of cancer cells from the site of the primary cancer to the brain. Among the different types of cancers, lung, breast and gastric cancers have the highest tendency to metastasise to the brain. The first step in identifying cerebral metastases usually involves a neurological examination. The physician then requests diagnostic imaging techniques - mostly CT and MRI so as to obtain more information about the type and location of the cancer. In the articles reviewed for this study both CT and MRI identified the same number of lesions but MRI had a remarkable advantage over CT in detecting lesions of a small diameter. Contrast enhancement further increased the overall sensitivity of MRI. It is suggested that Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI will become the modality of choice for diagnosing cerebral metastases.