Role of in vivo proton MR spectroscopy in the evaluation of adult brain lesions: our preliminary experience.
BACKGROUND
A definite diagnosis and characterization of intracranial mass lesions, based on structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) alone may be difficult. In such cases Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) along with other non-invasive techniques represents an advance in the specificity of brain lesion diagnosis.


OBJECTIVE
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of the utility of 1H-MRS in adult brain tumors and their differentiation from similar-appearing space-occupying lesions.


METHODS
MRS studies were performed on 1.5 Tesla whole body MR system using standard imaging head coil. Sixty patients (aged 30-65 years), including 35 males (31-65 years) and 25 females (30-65 years) were studied, along with 25 age-matched healthy volunteers (30-64 years). The Student 't' test was used to statistically analyze the spectroscopic data for significant difference in the metabolite ratios of the lesions from normal brain tissue.


RESULTS
The Cho/Cr ratio was significantly raised in low and high-grade glioma and meningioma patients (1.85 +/- 0.36, 3.50 +/- 1.00 and 6.65 +/- 2.83 respectively) (mean +/- standard deviation), as compared with the control group (1.16 +/- 0.18); and NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios were found to be lower than normal values in our study (P<0.01). However, in the non-neoplastic lesions, the Cho/Cr ratios were not statistically significant. The tubercular lesions revealed an average Cho/Cr ratio of 1.24 +/- 0.18, while it was 1.14 +/- 0.07 for infarcts.


CONCLUSIONS
MR Spectroscopy was useful to arrive at a more definitive diagnosis in doubtful intracranial space-occupying lesions with similar morphological imaging patterns.
Kumar
A
A
Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, Brig S K Mazumdar Road, Delhi-110054, India.
Kaushik
S
S
Tripathi
R P
RP
Kaur
P
P
Khushu
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons