Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Cerebral Tumors: A Case Report

In their daily clinical practice, physicians have to confront diagnostic dilemmas which cannot be resolved by the application of only one imaging technique. In this case report, we present a 66-year-old woman who was admitted to our institution for the surgical resection of a recently diagnosed brain tumor. The patient had a history of epileptic seizures and was hospitalized in the past for anti-phospholipid syndrome related to a non-Hodgkin lymphoma in remission. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed an enhancing right parasagittal lesion with significant edema suggestive of a high grade glioma. Advanced MRI techniques including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) showed findings compatible of glioma. An additional examination was performed as part of a protocol that we are routinely performing in our institution for all brain tumors including not only the gold standard advanced MRI techniques but also single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with technetium-99m (Tc99m). Brain SPECT indicated the presence of a meningioma which was verified by the histopathology of the resected specimen. In conclusion, a multimodality approach for the pre-surgical assessment of brain tumors has significant advantages not only for the diagnosis but also for the evaluation of intracranial tumors histology.