title: Magnetic resonance imaging does not define tumor boundaries.
abstract: To define tumor boundaries prior to radiation therapy, 13 patients with intracranial glial neoplasms had tumor biopsies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--computed tomography (CT) stereotactic technique. Precise histologic sampling of the lesion volume was correlated with the MRI and CT-defined 'lesion'. Tumor boundaries extended beyond the CT or MRI margin in 4 of 4 cases of glioblastoma, 1 of 3 cases of anaplastic astrocytoma, and 1 of 6 cases of well-differentiated astrocytoma. While stereotactic MRI is superior to stereotactic CT in the visualization of glial neoplasms, accurate tumor biopsy is mandatory to define both tumor type and margins before pre-operative radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurologic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Lunsford
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Latchaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed