Thomas[a]
Neurology 2002 Sep 24;59(6):947-9
How often are nonenhancing supratentorial gliomas malignant? A population study.
Scott JN, Brasher PM, Sevick RJ, Rewcastle NB, Forsyth PA.
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The presence of contrast enhancement in a brain tumor is often regarded as a sign of malignancy. The authors identified 314 patients with malignant and low-grade supratentorial glial neoplasms in an unselected population, 58 of which lacked contrast enhancement on preoperative neuroimaging. Nonenhancing gliomas were malignant in approximately one third of cases, especially in older patients. Histologic confirmation of the diagnosis is therefore important in all patients suspected of harboring a primary glial neoplasm.