Objective: To describe the contrast enhancement pattern of orbital cavernous hemangioma on sequential Gd-enhanced MRI.
Materials and methods: Six patients with an orbital mass lesion were examined with T1- and T2-weighted spin echo MRI. After intravenous administration of Gd-chelate at a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg, T1-weighted spin echo sequences were performed immediately after, after 15 to 30 min, and up to 1 h after the injection. In two patients a fat saturation prepulse was given before the Gd-enhanced study.
Results: In all patients the lesions were isointense to muscle on the T1-weighted sequence and hyperintense to muscle on the T2-weighted sequences. After gadolinium, all lesions showed initial central patchy enhancement. Between 20 and 60 min after the injection the lesions showed total and homogeneous filling up.
Conclusions: Progressive and total homogeneous filling up of an orbital mass of Gd-enhanced MRI is a pathognomonic sign of cavernous hemangioma.