Progress in magnetic resonance imaging of brain tumours.
OBJECTIVE
Advances in magnetic resonance based techniques have yielded improvements in both high-resolution anatomical imaging and methods to evaluate physiology and function. This review focuses on recent developments in these techniques as applied to pretreatment staging and post-treatment evaluation of brain tumours.


RESULTS
High-resolution spectroscopic imaging may contribute to pre-therapeutic grading and characterization of gliomas, as can diffusion techniques. The latter also hold promise in predicting survival in malignant supratentorial astrocytoma and could help to define areas for biopsy. Both methods can differentiate recurrent tumour from radiation injury. Perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance techniques offer potential markers of tumour angiogenesis and capillary permeability, and correlate well with vascular endothelial growth factor expression in grade II and grade III tumours. Functional magnetic resonance imaging can assess whether surgical treatment is feasible and select patients for intraoperative cortical stimulation. Combining multiple parameters in a magnetic resonance based diagnostic strategy could improve overall performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Magnetic resonance imaging provides insights into the physiology of human tumours in a way that is both noninvasive and radiation free. We may expect from these new imaging methods greater specificity in diagnosis and useful tools with which to predict and assess response to therapy.
Lemort
Marc
M
Institut Jules Bordet, Cancer Centre of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Medical Imaging, Belgium. marc.lemort@bordet.be
Canizares-Perez
Ana Cristina
AC
Van der Stappen
Anja
A
Kampouridis
Stelianos
S
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000639:trends; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis
D003287:Contrast Media