CT imaging of oligodendroglioma

Abstract While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of brain neoplasms, it remains important for physicians to be aware that CT, being the typical initial imaging modality for patients with neurologic complaints, can often delineate findings that suggest and potentially characterize a neoplastic process. In patients with oligodendroglioma, CT may allow physicians to suspect this specific neoplasm, even prior to obtaining an MRI examination. For example, striking calcifications within a suspected neoplastic lesion are a dominant feature of oligodendroglioma, more so than with other neoplastic lesions in the brain. This chapter reviews how CT can be a useful tool in patients with this type of brain tumor, whether the setting is CT imaging upon initial presentation, or in patients for whom MRI is contraindicated.