Peripelvic and periureteric areas are frequently overlooked in the imaging evaluations of the urinary system on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Several neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders and diseases including lipomatosis, angiomyolipoma and angiolipomatous proliferation, vascular lesions, lymphangiomatosis, Rosai-Dorfman disease, Erdheim-Chester disease, extramedullary hematopoiesis, IgG4-related disease, lymphoma, mesenchymal tumors, trauma, and Antopol-Goldman lesion may involve these areas. Differentiation of these benign or malignant pathologies among themselves and from primary renal pathologies is of utmost importance to expedite the triage of patients for correct treatment approach. In this article, we aim to increase the awareness of the imaging specialists to the typical and atypical imaging features of the entities affecting these areas.
Primary involvement of leptomeninges with melanocytic tumours is rarely seen and its diagnosis is challenging. Here we summarise two cases of primary leptomeningeal melanomatosis presenting as subacute meningitis. Both cases have pleocytosis and high protein on cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and demonstrated atypical cells on cytology. On magnetic resonance imaging, there is diffuse leptomeningal thickening and avid enhancement of intracranial and intraspinal leptomeninges. One of them demonstrates T1 shortening due to magnetic effects of melanin, the other case is amelanotic and shows hypointensity on precontrast T1-weighted images. Both cases can be diagnosed with biopsy. In conclusion, these cases highlight the importance of the correct interpretation of cytological and magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with atypical findings.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.