Imaging of medulloblastoma

Abstract

Medulloblastoma is the prototypical cerebellar tumor of childhood. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine are essential components of diagnosis and follow-up of children with medulloblastoma. Although techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been advocated as a robust tool in distinguishing medulloblastoma from other pediatric cerebellar tumors, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) has proved to be a reliable adjunct to the correct diagnosis in the last decade. In this chapter, conventional imaging (computerized tomography and MRI) features and diffusion weighted MR characteristics of medulloblastoma are discussed and contrasted with other common cerebellar tumors of childhood. Imaging of spine was also discussed in diagnosis and surveillance of drop metastases.