title: Early post-operative magnetic resonance imaging in glioblastoma: correlation among radiological findings and overall survival in 60 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate early post-operative magnetic resonance (EPMR) as a prognostic tool after resection of glioblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty EPMR examinations were evaluated for perioperative infarct, tumour growth between diagnosis and EPMR, contrast enhancement pattern, and extent of resection (EOR). The EOR was approached with the subjective evaluation of radiologists and by quantifying volumes. These parameters were tested as predictors of survival using the Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrast enhancement was found in 59 patients (59/60; 98 %). Showing a thin-linear pattern of enhancement was the most favourable finding. Patients with this pattern survived longer than patients with thick-linear (median overall survival (OS) thin-linear=609 days; thick-linear=432 days; P = .023) or nodular (median OS = 318 days; P = .001) enhancements. The subjective evaluation of the EOR performed better than its quantification. Patients survived longer when resection was total (median OS total resection=609 days; subtotal=371 days; P = .001). When resection was subtotal, patients survived longer if it was superior to 95 % (median OS resection superior to 95 %=559 days; inferior to 95 %=256 days; P = .034).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPMR provides valuable prognostic information after surgical resection of glioblastomas. A thin-linear pattern of contrast enhancement is the most favourable finding. Further prognostic stratification may be obtained by assessing the EOR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Some kind of contrast enhancement may be found in most EPMR examinations. • Thin-linear enhancements in the EPMR may be considered benign findings. • The EOR evaluated in the EPMR may stratify prognostic groups of patients. • The subjective evaluation of the EOR performs slightly better than its quantification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IDI Centre Bellvitge, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain. cmajos@bellvitgehospital.cat.|Centro de Investigación en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain. cmajos@bellvitgehospital.cat.|IDI Centre Bellvitge, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. cmajos@bellvitgehospital.cat.
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Majós
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IDI Centre Bellvitge, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cos
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IDI Centre Bellvitge, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castañer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Onclogy, ICO l'Hospitalet, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plans
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, ICO l'Hospitalet, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruna
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IDI Centre Bellvitge, HU de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilera
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Brain neoplasms, surgery; Glioblastoma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Survival analysis; Treatment outcome