[Diffusion tensor imaging of the white matter tracts in preoperative patients with cerebral neoplasm].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quantitative relationship between white matter tract (WMT) variation resulting from cerebral tumors and shifting of the fractional anisotropy (FA) index in magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).


METHODS
Four female and 8 male patients aged from 21 to 62 years with brain malignancies (2 malignant lymphomas, 2 low-grade astrocytomas, and 8 high-grade cerebral gliomas) underwent conventional contrast-enhanced MR and DTI examinations before operation. Routine T(2)-weighted image, fractional anisotropic (FA) map, color-coded directional map, three-dimensional white matter tractography (WMT), and the FA index of bilateral internal capsule were obtained in every patient.


RESULTS
Fiber tractography derived from DTI was consistent with known white matter fiber anatomy. The DTI patterns in WMT altered by the tumor were categorized on the basis of FA1/FA2 ratio as follows: pattern 1, FA1/FA2> or =75% with normal or only slightly decreased FA; pattern 2, 50%< or =FA1/FA2<75% with WMT displacement; pattern 3, 25%< or =FA1/FA2/50% with WMT involvement; pattern 4, FA1/FA2<25% with WMT destruction.


CONCLUSIONS
DTI allows for visualization of WMT and benefits surgical planning for patients with intrinsic brain tumor. There is a positive relationship between the bilateral FA ratio (FA1/FA2) variation and WMT alterations resulting from the tumor.
Li
Yi-zhuo
YZ
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou 510060, China. liyizhuo@21cn.com
Huang
Zi-lin
ZL
Wei
Da-nian
DN
Xie
Chuan-miao
CM
He
Hao-qiang
HQ
Wei
Yi-fei
YF
Chen
Lin
L
Wu
Pei-hong
PH
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000528:radiation effects; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity