title: [Multivoxel spectroscopy with short echo time: choline/N-acetyl-aspartate ratio and the grading of cerebral astrocytomas].
abstract: The choline/N-acetyl-aspartate (Cho/NAA) ratio, obtained by the multivoxel spectroscopy with short echo time (TE), was evaluated, in the histological grading of the brain astrocytomas (grades I, II and III-IV) in comparison with the normal cerebral parenchyma. A significant increase (p<0.05) in the average ratios of Cho/NAA was observed in the three astrocytoma groups studied in relation to normal tissue, having a tendency to increase with the increase in grading, without any statistic significance, which corresponded to: 0.53+/-0.24 in the control group, 1.19+/-0.49 in grade I, 1.58+/-0.65 in grade II and 5.13+/-8.12 in the high grade group (grades III-IV), with variation in the values encountered. There was an increase in the Cho/NAA ratio in 4/5 (80%) in grade I, 5/6 (83%) in grade II and 10/20 (50%) in grades III and IV. We conclude that multivoxel spectroscopy with short TE can be used in discriminating between normal parenchyma and neoplasm tissue. However, not all neoplasm tissue studied presented an increase in Cho/NAA, especially in the group with higher grade of malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Albert Sabin, and Departamento de Neuropsiquiatria, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. aragao@truenet.com.br
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima Vasco
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Aragão
authors.forename: Maria Concepción García
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Otaduy
authors.forename: Roberto Vieira de
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Hildo Rocha Cirne de
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Azevedo Filho
authors.forename: Edgar Guimarães
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: José Laércio
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Claudia da Costa
authors.initials: Cda C
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Marcelo Moraes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Valença
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011522:Protons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D002794:Choline