Keywords:
Metastases, Radiation therapy / Oncology, CT, Neuroradiology brain
Authors:
G. Rebella1, N. Romano2, L. R. Saitta2, L. Roccatagliata1, L. Castellan1; 1Genoa/IT, 2Genova/IT
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-0577
Methods and materials
A series of 1000 consecutive brain CT scans of patients with known primary tumors was retrospectively assessed,
and the presence of brain metastases was reported.
Among 182 patients with brain metastasis we searched for the presence of calcification within the lesions.
Only intra-axial metastases were considered.
Two blinded expert neuroradiologists analyzed the CT images,
both without and with contrast media.
CBM were defined by the presence of calcification within intra-axial enhancing lesions.
Also calcifications within lesions with increased volume and contrast enhancement at follow-up scans were included in the CBM series.
Calcifications were visually identified and only hyperdense areas with a value ≥ 85 Hounsfield Units (HU) were included.
Calcifications types were annotated according to the following classification: punctate (< 4 mm),
nodular (≥ 4 mm),
ring,
cluster and coarse (Figure 1).
Moreover for each patient with CBM we evaluated the number of CBM (single or multiple),
the primary tumor histology and if the patient was previously treated with brain radiotherapy (either whole brain WB or stereotactic radiosurgery SRS).