title: Application of 31P MR spectroscopy to the brain tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical feasibility and obtain useful parameters of (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study for making the differential diagnosis of brain tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with brain tumorous lesions (22 cases of brain tumor and 6 cases of abscess) and 11 normal volunteers were included. The patients were classified into the astrocytoma group, lymphoma group, metastasis group and the abscess group. We obtained the intracellular pH and the metabolite ratios of phosphomonoesters/phosophodiesters (PME/PDE), PME/inorganic phosphate (Pi), PDE/Pi, PME/adenosine triphosphate (ATP), PDE/ATP, PME/phosphocreatine (PCr), PDE/PCr, PCr/ATP, PCr/Pi, and ATP/Pi, and evaluated the statistical significances.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The brain tumors had a tendency of alkalization (pH = 7.28 ± 0.27, p = 0.090), especially the pH of the lymphoma was significantly increased (pH = 7.45 ± 0.32, p = 0.013). The brain tumor group showed increased PME/PDE ratio compared with that in the normal control group (p = 0.012). The ratios of PME/PDE, PDE/Pi, PME/PCr and PDE/PCr showed statistically significant differences between each brain lesion groups (p < 0.05). The astrocytoma showed an increased PME/PDE and PME/PCr ratio. The ratios of PDE/Pi, PME/PCr, and PDE/PCr in lymphoma group were lower than those in the control group and astrocytoma group. The metastasis group showed an increased PME/PDE ratio, compared with that in the normal control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have obtained the clinically applicable (31)P MRS, and the pH, PME/PDE, PDE/Pi, PME/PCr, and PDE/PCr ratios are helpful for differentiating among the different types of brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan 602-715, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Sunseob
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Seong Kuk
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Myong Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ki-Uk
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010758:Phosphorus; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus
keywords: Brain; MRS; Magnetic resonance imaging; Tumor