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Contrast‐enhancing computed tomography ring in glioblastoma multiforme after intraoperative endocurietherapy
Author(s) -
Kumar P. Pradeep,
Good Roger R.,
Jones Ernest O.,
Miles Skultety F.,
Leibrock Lyal G.,
McComb Rodney D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19880501)61:9<1759::aid-cncr2820610907>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - medicine , glioblastoma , nuclear medicine , edema , capsule , radiology , tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , computed tomography , radiation therapy , surgery , botany , cancer research , biology
The significance of the contrast‐enhancing ring seen on serial follow‐up postirradiation computed tomograms (CT) of the brain was evaluated in a group of 41 patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM) who were treated in a phase I/II study by means of intraoperative remote afterloading endocurietherapy (ECT) with a high activity cobalt 60 probe (20.00 Gy) in one high‐dose rate fraction), and conventional fractionated external‐beam (EXRT) radiotherapy (60.00 Gy in 30 fractions in 7.5 weeks). All received minimum total tumor doses of 80.00 Gy. After completion of treatment, all patients were followed with serial CT scans of the brain. Two to 6 months after treatment, 27 of 41 patients developed the similar thin‐walled, regular, contrast‐enhancing CT rings with low‐density attenuation inside and outside the ring. Postmortem study in two of these patients revealed that the thin‐walled, regular, contrast‐enhancing ring represented a continuous capsule of dilated cerebral vessels with inner low‐density attenuation corresponding to necrosis, and outer low‐density attenuation corresponding to edema. The CT appearance of the thin‐walled, regular, contrast‐enhancing ring produced after high‐dose rate intraoperative ECT and EXRT is distinctly different from the CT ring characteristic of untreated or recurrent GM. After high‐dose rate intracranial ECT and EXRT, the appearance of a post‐ECT contrast‐enhancing CT ring should not be automatically interpreted as recurrent disease as previously reported after conventional fractionated EXRT.