MR imaging of schwannoma

We have obtained MR imagings of 9 patients with schwannoma. Five cases were benign and four cases were malignant schwannoma. All of malignant schwannomas were complicated with Von Recklinghausen's disease. In all patients, the surgical therapy and histopathologic diagnosis were performed. Generally, MRI were not helpful in identifying tissue type except for fatty tumors. But MRI was excellent for evaluation in demonstrating capsule, structure of the tumor, and anatomical relationship of the nerve sheath and the tumor. We thought that MRI is useful for diagnosis of schwannoma. (author)