Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for the assessment of spinal tumor vascularity: correlation with angiography

To determine if dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) could correlate well with invasive angiography in the characterization of spinal tumor vascularity.

Totally 40 patients with untreated spinal tumors underwent MRI before preoperative angiography and embolization. Tumors were assigned to hypervascular, moderate, or hypovascular groups based on angiographic appearance. Tumor vascularity was also evaluated with enhancement degree on standard MR and with DCE-MRI parameters via ROI analysis of enhanced tumor area. The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the correlation between the degree of angiographic vascularity and enhancement on MRI and DCE-MRI parameters. ROC analysis was conducted to assess the appropriate cut-off value.

There were 12 hypervascular, 12 moderate, and 16 hypovascular tumors, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficient between DCE-MRI parameter and the degree of angiographic vascularity was 0.899 (RSlope_max), 0.847 (Slope_max), 0.697 (E _max), 0.694 (ER_max), and -0.587 (TTP), respectively, which showed excellent-to-moderate relationships. The RSlope_max cut-off value of 1.325 provided the highest specificity of 100 % and sensitivity of 87.5 % in predicting hypovascular tumors and the value of 1.85 provided the highest sensitivity of 100 % and specificity of 96.4 % in characterizing hypervascular ones.

DCE-MRI is an accurate technique for the assessment of spinal tumor vascularity, which may have a potential value in the decision-making of preoperative embolization.