Preoperative magnetic resonance spectroscopy improves diagnostic accuracy in a series of neurosurgical dilemmas

Abstract

Object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of preoperative magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in neurosurgical patients with diagnostically challenging intracranial lesions. Methods. Included in this study are twenty-three consecutive patients presenting to the neurosurgery service with diagnostically challenging intracranial lesions and who were investigated by conventional MR imaging and proton (1H) MRS, followed by surgery with subsequent histopathological diagnosis. An experienced neuroradiologist (RJ) blinded to the final histopathology evaluated the imaging studies retrospectively. Provisional diagnoses based on preoperative clinical and conventional MR data ve..