title: Minimum apparent diffusion coefficient for the differential diagnosis of ganglioglioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values was evaluated for the differential diagnosis of ganglioglioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten consecutive patients, five men and five women, aged from 14 to 67 years, with histologically proven supratentorial gangliogliomas, underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with echo planar imaging technique. The minimum ADC (minADC) of each tumor was pre-operatively determined from several regions of interest. The minADC of ganglioglioma was compared with that of low- or high-grade astrocytomas (astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma). Tumor cellularity of gangliogliomas was compared with the minADC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean minADC of the gangliogliomas (1.45 +/- 0.20 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) was significantly higher than that of the low- or high-grade astrocytomas. Tumor cellularity of ganglioglioma was inversely correlated with the minADC value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The minADC value reflects in the low tumor cellularity of gangliogliomas and may provide a method for the differential diagnosis of ganglioglioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumabe
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higano
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Teiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tominaga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged