MR diffusion imaging of human intracranial tumours.
We used MRI for in vivo measurement of brain water self-diffusion in patients with intracranial tumours. The study included 28 patients (12 with high-grade and 3 with low-grade gliomas, 7 with metastases, 5 with meningiomas and 1 with a cerebral abscess). Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) were calculated in a single axial slice through the tumours, the sequence was sensitive to diffusion along the cephalocaudal axis. Our main finding was that ADC in contrast-enhancing areas within cerebral metastases was statistically significantly higher than ADC in contrast-enhancing areas in high-grade gliomas (P < or = 0.05). Furthermore, the ADC in oedema surrounding metastases were statistically significantly higher the ADC in oedema around high-grade gliomas (P < or = 0.02). The ADC in patients with meningiomas did not differ significantly from those seen with high-grade gliomas or cerebral metastases. The highest ADC were found within cystic or necrotic tumour areas. In one patient with a cerebral abscess, suspected of having a high-grade glioma, the ADC was similar to that in high-grade gliomas. The finding of higher ADC in cerebral metastases than in high-grade gliomas may be helpful in trying to distinguish between these tumours preoperatively; it suggests increased free extracellular and/or intracellular water fraction in cerebral metastases. The method seems to hold potential for further noninvasive characterisation of intracranial tumours.
Krabbe
K
K
Danish Research Center of Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
Gideon
P
P
Wagn
P
P
Hansen
U
U
Thomsen
C
C
Madsen
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012016:Reference Values