Comparison of MR imaging and CT in discriminating tumor infiltration of bone and bone marrow in the skull base.

We compared MR imaging with CT in revealing tumor infiltration of bone and bone marrow in the skull base of 54 patients. MR imaging had no advantages over when tumor involved the anterior compartment. However, precontrast T1-weighted MR images were more efficient than CT in 37.5% of tumors involving the middle compartment and in 54.5% of tumors involving the posterior compartment, respectively. Precontrast T1-weighted images were more accurate than other pulse sequences in revealing bone and bone marrow that were replaced by tumors.