Detection of T(2) changes in an early mouse brain tumor.
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of early tumor growth on T(2) relaxation times in an experimental glioma model. A 9.4-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system was used for the investigations. An animal model (n=12) of glioma was established using an intracranial inoculation of U87MGdEGFRvIII cells. The imaging studies were performed from Day 10 through Day 13 following tumor inoculation. Tumor blood vessel density was determined using quantitative immunochemistry. Tumor volume was measured daily using MR images. T(2) values of the tumor were measured in five areas across the tumor and calculated using a single exponential fitting of the echo train. The measurements on Days 10 and 13 after tumor inoculation showed a 20% increase in T(2). The changes in T(2) correlated with the size of the tumor. Statistically significant differences in T(2) values were observed between the edge of the tumor and the brain tissue on Days 11, 12 and 13 (P=.014, .008, .001, respectively), but not on Day 10 (P=.364). The results show that T(2)-weighted MRI may not detect glioma during an early phase of growth. T(2) increases in growing glioma and varies heterogenously across the tumor.
Blasiak
Barbara
B
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
Tomanek
Boguslaw
B
Abulrob
Abedelnasser
A
Iqbal
Umar
U
Stanimirovic
Danica
D
Albaghdadi
Homam
H
Foniok
Tadeusz
T
Lun
Xueqing
X
Forsyth
Peter
P
Sutherland
Garnette R
GR
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005910:Glioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D047368:Tumor Burden