Predictive Value of MRI and CT Findings in Childhood Medulloblastoma Studied in Thai Patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of CT and MRI findings in patients with medulloblastoma. Methods: From 1998 to 2007, the MRI and CT of fourteen patients with medulloblastoma were retrospectively reviewed. The findings of cyst or necrotic portion, composition of calcification, hemorrhage and residual tumor after surgical removal were evaluated. Histopathologic findings were classified as large cell and non-large cell type. Outcomes of the disease were indicated by evidence of leptomeningeal seeding, a recurrence event and survival time after diagnosis. Results: Only the large cell type of medulloblastoma was statistically significant in decreasing survival time. No other MRI or CT findings were statistically significant to predict outcomes of the disease. Conclusion: The histologic type of medulloblastoma is a predictive indicator of the outcome of treatment regardless of imaging findings. However, the limitation of this study due to small sample size was considered.

Keywords

• Medulloblastoma
• CT
• MRI
• prognosis