Spectroscopic increase in choline signal is a nonspecific marker for differentiation of infective/inflammatory from neoplastic lesions of the brain

We report in vivo proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic findings in three benign infective/inflammatory lesions (one case each of tuberculoma, fungal granuloma, and xanthogranuloma), which showed high choline along with the presence of lipid/lactate, a feature characteristically described in neoplastic lesions. Histopathology of the lesions showed inflammatory cellular infiltrates with areas of necrosis/caseation. The spectroscopic‐visible increased choline resonance in these lesions is probably the result of cellularity. We conclude that increased choline, along with the presence of lipid/lactate is a nonspecific finding and may not be of much value in the differentiation of neoplastic from nonneoplastic infective/inflammatory intracranial mass lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;14:8–15. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.