title: An attempt toward objective assessment of brain tumor vascularization using susceptibility weighted imaging and dedicated computer program - a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a novel MRI sequence which demonstrates the susceptibility differences between adjacent tissues and it is promising to be a sequence useful in the assessment of brain tumors vascularity. The aim of our study was to demonstrate usefulness of SWI in evaluation of intratumoral vessels in comparison to CET1 sequence in a standardized, objective manner.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 patients with supratentorial brain tumors were included in the study. All of them underwent conventional MRI examination with a 1,5 T scanner. SWI sequence was additionally performed using the following parameters: TR 49 ms,TE 40 ms. We used authors' personal computer software - Vessels View, to assess the vessels number.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of SWI and CET1 sequences was performed using our program. Analysis of all 26 ROIs demonstrated predominance of SWI in the amount of white pixels (vessel cross-sectional) and a similar number of elongated structures (blood vessels).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To conclude, the results of this study are encouraging; they confirm the added value of SWI as an appropriate and useful sequence in the process of evaluation of intratumoral vascularity. Using our program significantly improved visualization of blood vessels in cerebral tumors. The Vessel View application assists radiologists in demonstrating the vessels and facilitates distinguishing them from adjacent tissues in the image.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Barlicki University Hospital No. 1, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wieczorek-Pastusiak
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kociński
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raźniewski
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strzelecki
authors.forename: Ludomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stefańczyk
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majos
keywords: MRI; SWI; brain tumors; susceptibility weighted imaging