title: The role of diffusion and perfusion weighted imaging in the differential diagnosis of cerebral tumors: a review and future perspectives.
abstract: The role of conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the detection of cerebral tumors has been well established. However its excellent soft tissue visualization and variety of imaging sequences are in many cases non-specific for the assessment of brain tumor grading. Hence, advanced MRI techniques, like Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Dynamic-Susceptibility Contrast Imaging (DSCI), which are based on different contrast principles, have been used in the clinical routine to improve diagnostic accuracy. The variety of quantitative information derived from these techniques provides significant structural and functional information in a cellular level, highlighting aspects of the underlying brain pathophysiology. The present work, reviews physical principles and recent results obtained using DWI/DTI and DSCI, in tumor characterization and grading of the most common cerebral neoplasms, and discusses how the available MR quantitative data can be utilized through advanced methods of analysis, in order to optimize clinical decision making.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svolos
authors.forename: Evanthia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kousi
authors.forename: Eftychia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kapsalaki
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fezoulidis
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kappas
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsougos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001810:Blood Volume; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media