MRI and angiography differences in dogs with brain tumors meningioma

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To compare conventional MRI and nonenhanced 3-D time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) findings between dogs with meningioma and dogs with intracranial histiocytic sarcoma (IHS). DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 14 dogs with meningioma and 5 dogs with IHS. PROCEDURES Medical records of dogs with meningioma or IHS that were examined at a tertiary veterinary hospital from 2010 through 2014 and underwent 3-D TOF MRA in conjunction with conventional MRI were reviewed. Findings for conventional MRI and 3-D TOF MRA were compared between the 2 groups of dogs to evaluate whether there were any characteristics that could be used to differentiate meningioma from IHS. RESULTS Tumor type was significantly associated with signal intensity on conventional T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI images; most meningiomas were hyperintense, and most IHSs were isointense or hypointense on those images. Tumor type was not associated with signal uniformity, tumor location, tumor origin, or the presence of edema, midline shift, or brain herniation. On MRA, blood vessels adjacent to the tumor were identified and characterized for 9 of 14 dogs with meningioma and all 5 dogs with IHS. Vessels adjacent to meningiomas were displaced in 8 of 9 dogs, whereas vessels adjacent to IHSs were not displaced. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated nonenhanced 3-D TOF MRA findings provided additional information that can be assessed in conjunction with conventional MRI findings to help differentiate meningiomas from IHSs in dogs.