Quantitative MR imaging and spectroscopy of brain tumours: a step forward?
OBJECTIVE
A prospective quantitative MR study of brain tumours was performed to show the potential of combining different MR techniques to distinguish various disease processes in routine clinical practice.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients with various intracranial tumours before treatment (diagnosis confirmed by a biopsy) and 59 healthy subjects were examined on a 3-T system by conventional MR imaging, 1H spectroscopic imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and T2 relaxometry. Metabolic concentrations and their ratios, T2 relaxation times and mean diffusivities were calculated and correlated on a pixel-by-pixel basis and compared to control data.


RESULTS
Different tumour types and different localisations revealed specific patterns of correlations between metabolic concentrations and mean diffusivity or T2 relaxation times. The patterns distinguish given tissue states in the examined area: healthy tissue, tissue infiltrated by tumour, active tumour, oedema infiltrated by tumour, oedema, etc. This method is able to describe the complexity of a highly heterogeneous tissue in the tumour and its vicinity, and determines crucial parameters for tissue differentiation.


CONCLUSIONS
A combination of different MR parameters on a pixel-by-pixel basis in individual patients enables better identification of the tumour type, direction of proliferation and assessment of the tumour extension.


CONCLUSIONS
• Magnetic resonance offers many different methods of examining the brain.                 • A combination of quantitative MR parameters helps distinguish different brain lesions                                  • Different tumour types revealed specific correlation patterns amongst different MR parameters                                  • The correlation patterns reflect highly heterogeneous complex tissue within tumours.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Videnska 1958/9, 140 21, Prague, Czech Republic. diwa@medicon.cz
Dita
D
Wagnerova
Vit
V
Herynek
Alberto
A
Malucelli
Monika
M
Dezortova
Josef
J
Vymazal
Dusan
D
Urgosik
Martin
M
Syrucek
Filip
F
Jiru
Antonin
A
Skoch
Robert
R
Bartos
Martin
M
Sames
Milan
M
Hajek
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004058:Diffusion; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged