Signal intensity in T2' magnetic resonance imaging is related to brain glioma grade.
OBJECTIVE
T2' values reflect the presence of deoxyhaemoglobin related to high local oxygen extraction. We assessed the feasibility of T2' imaging to display regions with high metabolic activity in brain gliomas.


METHODS
MRI was performed in 25 patients (12 female; median age 46 years; range 2-69) with brain gliomas with additional T2 and T2* sequences. T2' maps were derived from T2 and T2*. Dynamic susceptibility weighted contrast (DSC) perfusion was performed in 12/25 patients. Images were visually assessed by two readers and five ROIs were evaluated for each patient. Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
Three patients were not further evaluated because of artefacts. Mean values of high-grade (III-IV) gliomas showed significantly lower T2' values than low-grade (II) gliomas (p < 0.001). An inverse relationship was observed between rCBV and sqr (T2') (r = -0.463, p < 0.001). No correlation was observed between T2' and rCBV for grade II tumours (r = 0.038; p = 0.875).


CONCLUSIONS
High-grade tumours revealed lower T2' values, presumably because of higher oxygen consumption in proliferating tissue. Our results indicate that T2' imaging can be used as an alternative to DSC perfusion in the detection of subtle deviations in tumour metabolism.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, San Martino Hospital, Pad Specialità, Largo Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
Laura
L
Saitta
Oliver
O
Heese
Ann-Freya
AF
Förster
Jakob
J
Matschke
Susanne
S
Siemonsen
Lucio
L
Castellan
Manfred
M
Westphal
Jens
J
Fiehler
Einar
E
Goebell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D006454:Hemoglobins; C100003:deoxyhemoglobin; D010100:Oxygen