Neuro Radiology Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
colloid cyst
Benign cystic lesion typically located in the third ventricle that can cause intermittent hydrocephalus.
laminar necrosis
Selective necrosis of cortical layers following ischemic injury, appearing as cortical hyperintensity on FLAIR.
leptomeningeal enhancement
Abnormal contrast uptake in the pia mater and arachnoid layers covering the brain surface.
leukomalacia
Softening and degeneration of white matter tissue, typically occurring in periventricular regions in premature infants.
mass effect
Displacement or compression of brain structures caused by an expanding lesion or collection.
mechanical thrombectomy
Endovascular procedure to physically remove blood clots from large intracranial vessels in acute stroke patients.
meningioma
A typically benign tumor arising from the meninges that requires careful imaging assessment for surgical planning.
mesial temporal sclerosis
Chronic neuronal loss and gliosis in hippocampus and related structures, commonly associated with temporal lobe epilepsy...
microhemorrhages
Small areas of bleeding in brain tissue, typically detected on gradient echo or susceptibility-weighted imaging sequence...
MIP reconstruction
Maximum intensity projection, a 3D rendering technique that displays the brightest pixel along each viewing ray to creat...
mismatch negativity
A neurophysiological response measured in functional neuroimaging studies of auditory processing.
moyamoya disease
Progressive cerebrovascular disorder characterized by bilateral stenosis of terminal internal carotid arteries with abno...
mTICI score
Modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale used to assess reperfusion success in stroke intervention.
NIHSS
National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, a standardized assessment tool for quantifying stroke severity and neurologi...
oligodendroglioma
Primary brain tumor arising from oligodendrocytes, characterized by calcifications and 'fried-egg' histology.
pachymeningeal enhancement
Contrast enhancement of the dura mater, often indicating inflammation, infection, or neoplastic involvement.
PACS
Picture Archiving and Communication System - digital imaging technology for storing and accessing medical images.
penumbra
In stroke imaging, the region of brain tissue that is hypoperfused but not yet irreversibly damaged, representing potent...
perforating artery
Small arterial branches that penetrate brain parenchyma to supply deep structures like basal ganglia.
perfusion-weighted imaging
MRI technique measuring cerebral blood flow and volume to assess tissue viability in stroke and tumor evaluation.
perilesional edema
Fluid accumulation in brain tissue surrounding a lesion, appearing as increased signal on T2-weighted images.
perivascular space
Fluid-filled spaces surrounding penetrating arteries and veins, visible as linear hyperintensities on T2-weighted images...
periventricular leukomalacia
White matter injury near the ventricles, commonly seen in premature infants and associated with cerebral palsy.
pineal cyst
Benign cystic lesion of the pineal gland, typically asymptomatic and following CSF signal characteristics.
PRES
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome characterized by vasogenic edema in watershed territories.