What Is a T2 Hyperintense Lesion?
A T2 hyperintense lesion is a very bright area seen on a magnetic resonance imaging scan using T2-weighting. A lesion is any abnormality seen on an MRI scan. T2 hyperintense lesions are usually dense areas of abnormal tissue.
T2 hyperintense lesions in the brain are commonly seen with multiple sclerosis, small strokes, migraines, tumors, inflammation and many other conditions. T2 hyperintense lesions are seen in other organs, as well. For example, malignant liver tumors often appear as T2 hyperintense lesions.
MRI can acquire images with or without contrast, and by using either T1 or T2 weighting. Other methods of acquiring images, such as diffusion weighting and FLAIR, are also available. A full scan usually involves acquiring a number of images using different methods. The various methods of acquiring images reveal different properties of the tissues.
