Developer site: The content shown here is test data.

MyEClinic
MyEClinic
Health Dictionary AI Health Chat Find an Online Doctor
A serene Zen garden with raked sand and smooth stones, symbolising clarity and calm

Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

Back to skin conditions

Schwannoma MRI

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Schwannomas appear on T1 as isointense or hypointense, T1 C+ (Gd) intense enhancement,T2- heterogeneously hyperintense (Antoni A: relatively low, Antoni B: high), cystic degenerative areas may be present, especially in larger tumors, T2- larger tumors often have areas of hemosiderin. Signs can also be useful in diagnosing such as split-fat sign: thin peripheral rim of fat best seen on planes along long axis of the lesion in non-fat-suppressed sequences, target sign: peripheral high T2 signal, central low signal rarely seen intracranially, fascicular sign: multiple small ring-like structures.

MRI

MRI

Schwannomas have fairly predictable signal characteristics [1] [2][3][4] [5][6] :

  • T1: isointense or hypointense
  • T1 C+ (Gd): intense enhancement
  • T2: heterogeneously hyperintense (Antoni A: relatively low, Antoni B: high)
    • cystic degenerative areas may be present, especially in larger tumors
  • T2*: larger tumors often have areas of hemosiderin

A number of signs can also be useful:

  • split-fat sign: thin peripheral rim of fat best seen on planes along long axis of the lesion in non-fat-suppressed sequences
  • target sign
    • peripheral high T2 signal
    • central low signal
    • rarely seen intracranially 7
  • fascicular sign: multiple small ring-like structures
References

References

  1. ↑ Rosahl S, Bohr C, Lell M, Hamm K, Iro H (2017). “Diagnostics and therapy of vestibular schwannomas – an interdisciplinary challenge”. GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 16: Doc03. doi:10.3205/cto000142. PMC 5738934. PMID 29279723.
  2. ↑ Zou J, Hirvonen T (2017). ““Wait and scan” management of patients with vestibular schwannoma and the relevance of non-contrast MRI in the follow-up”. J Otol. 12 (4): 174–184. doi:10.1016/j.joto.2017.08.002. PMC 6002632. PMID 29937853.
  3. ↑ Jeong KH, Choi JW, Shin JE, Kim CH (2016). “Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Vestibular Schwannoma as the Most Common Cause of MRI Abnormality”. Medicine (Baltimore). 95 (17): e3557. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003557. PMC 4998729. PMID 27124066.
  4. ↑ Kleijwegt MC, van der Mey AG, Wiggers-deBruine FT, Malessy MJ, van Osch MJ (2016). “Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging provides additional information as compared to anatomical imaging for decision-making in vestibular schwannoma”. Eur J Radiol Open. 3: 127–33. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2016.05.005. PMC 4919314. PMID 27366777.
  5. ↑ Lin EP, Crane BT (2017). “The Management and Imaging of Vestibular Schwannomas”. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 38 (11): 2034–2043. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A5213. PMC 5690865. PMID 28546250.
  6. ↑ Singh K, Singh MP, Thukral C, Rao K, Singh K, Singh A (March 2015). “Role of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of cerebellopontine angle schwannomas”. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 67 (1): 21–7. doi:10.1007/s12070-014-0736-0. PMC 4298582. PMID 25621227.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: ; Maneesha Nandimandalam, M.B.B.S.[2]