Comparison of 3 and 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Obstructive Hydrocephalus Caused by Tectal Glioma

Obstructive hydrocephalus caused by tectal glioma, which relived by neuroendoscopy, have been described using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) so far, we present the results obtained from 3T and 7T MRI in this patient. A 21-year-old woman presented at our hospital with gait disturbance, hormonal insufficiency, and urinary incontinence that began prior to 6 years of age. 3.0T MRI revealed a non-enhancing tectal mass along with obstructive hydrocephalus. The mass measured approximately 1.1×1.0×1.2 cm. An endoscopic third ventriculostomy was performed to relieve the hydrocephalus. We compared hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow findings from 3T and 7T MRI, both preoperative and postoperative at 1, 6 months. Intraventricular CSF voiding on T2-weighted images obtained with 7T MRI showed greater fluid inversion than those obtained with 3T MRI. This study shows that 7T brain MRI can provide detailed information on hydrocephalus caused by tectal glioma. Further studies are needed to develop refined 7T MRI protocols for better images of hydrocephalus.