Perfusion MR imaging: clinical utility for the differential diagnosis of various brain tumors.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the utility of perfusion MR imaging in the differential diagnosis of brain tumors.


METHODS
Fifty-seven patients with pathologically proven brain tumors (21 high-grade gliomas, 8 low-grade gliomas, 8 lymphomas, 6 hemangioblastomas, 7 metastases, and 7 various other tumors) were included in this study. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and time-to-peak (TTP) ratios were quantitatively analyzed and the rCBV grade of each tumor was also visually assessed on an rCBV map.


RESULTS
The highest rCBV ratios were seen in hemangioblastomas, followed by high-grade gliomas, metastases, low-grade gliomas, and lymphomas. There was no significant difference in TTP ratios between each tumor group (p<0.05). At visual assessment, rCBV was high in 17 (81%) of 21 high-grade gliomas and in 4 (50%) of 8 low-grade gliomas. Hemangioblastomas showed the highest rCBV and lymphomas the lowest.


CONCLUSIONS
Perfusion MR imaging may be helpful in the differentiation of thevarious solid tumors found in the brain, and in assessing the grade of the various glial tumors occurring there.
Cho
Sung Ki
SK
Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Na
Dong Gyu
DG
Ryoo
Jae Wook
JW
Roh
Hong Gee
HG
Moon
Chan Hong
CH
Byun
Hong Sik
HS
Kim
Jong Hyun
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors