A multi-centre, web-accessible and quality control-checked database of in vivo MR spectra of brain tumour patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe an Internet-accessible database that contains validated in vivo MR spectra and clinical data of brain tumour patients.


METHODS
All data from patients entering the INTERPRET project (International Network for Pattern Recognition of Tumours Using Magnetic Resonance, <http://azizu.uab.es/INTERPRET>) were stored in a web-accessible database (iDB) and selected using its query functionality. Criteria for selection were that the case had a single voxel (SV) short-echo (20-32 ms) 1.5 T spectrum acquired from a nodular region of the tumour, that the voxel had been positioned in the same region as where subsequent biopsy was obtained, that the short-echo spectrum had not been discarded because of acquisition artefacts or other reasons, and that a histopathological diagnosis was agreed among a committee of neuropathologists. When the spectra were obtained from normal volunteers or were of abscesses or clinically proven metastases, biopsy was not required.


RESULTS
A subset of 304 cases (22 normal volunteers and 282 tumour patients) was obtained. These cases were migrated to another similar database (validated-DB).


CONCLUSIONS
The validated-DB complies with ethics regulations and represents the population studied. It is accessible by neuroradiologists willing to use information provided by MRS to help in the non-invasive diagnosis of brain tumours.
Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain.
Margarida
M
Julià-Sapé
Dionisio
D
Acosta
Mariola
M
Mier
Carles
C
Arùs
Des
D
Watson
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003628:Database Management Systems; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D020407:Internet; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009862:Online Systems; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins