Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Supratentorial Tumors: A Hospital Based Descriptive Study

Background: Brain tumors can be classified by location into supratentorial, infratentorial, and midline tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has earned recognition as the optimal screening technique for the detection of most intracranial tumors. MRI using spin echo, gradient echo, and combination of spin echo and gradient echo pulse sequences before and after intravenous administration of paramagnetic contrast agents provides inherently greater contrast resolution between structural abnormalities and adjacent brain parenchyma and has proved to be more sensitive in the detection of focal lesions of the brain. Methods: A total of 40 patients with symptoms of intracranial pathology were subjected to MRI and those cases found to have supratentorial tumors and proven by histopathology were studied during the period from December 2012 to September 2014. Results: The MRI features of 40 supratentorial tumors were reviewed, out of which 63% were found to be extra-axial tumors and 37% intra-axial tumors. About 27% were found to be glial tumors and 73% were found to be non-glial tumors. Astrocytomas and meningiomas formed majority of the glial and non-glial tumors, respectively. Astrocytomas were predominantly located in the frontoparietal and frontal lobes, whereas majority of meningiomas were located in bilateral cerebral convexities and parafalcine regions. Conclusion: MRI proves to be a valuable modality of imaging in evaluating the characteristics, distribution, localizing, and assessing of the extent of various intra- and extra-axial tumors in the supratentorial region.