[Perfusion MR imaging for initial diagnosis and follow-up of brain tumors]

Area of Science:

• Neuroradiology
• Neuro-oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Brain tumors require accurate initial diagnosis and monitoring.
• Perfusion MR imaging offers insights into tumor vascularity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of perfusion MR imaging in the diagnosis and follow-up of brain tumors.
• To assess the role of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in differentiating tumor types and grading.

Main Methods:

• Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MR imaging was employed.
• Cerebral blood volume (CBV) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps were generated.
• Normalization of signal intensities was performed using healthy tissue measurements.

Main Results:

• Perfusion MR imaging provided valuable data for differential diagnosis, distinguishing between lesions like lymphoma and pilocytic astrocytoma.
• The technique demonstrated utility in grading gliomas.

Conclusions:

• The approach shows promise for grading oligodendrogliomas, where histological diagnosis can be difficult.
• Limitations regarding quantification and result interpretation were discussed.