Diffusion-Weighted MRI Reflects Proliferative Activity in Primary CNS Lymphoma.

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Radiology
• Pathology

Background:

• Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare brain tumor.
• Accurate non-invasive assessment of tumor characteristics is crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from MRI correlate with cellularity and proliferative activity in PCNSL.
• Investigate the relationship between diffusion metrics and histopathological findings in PCNSL.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of diffusion-weighted MRI from 21 PCNSL patients.
• Regions of interest were placed on contrast-enhancing tumor areas to calculate ADC values.
• Histopathological analysis of tumor biopsies, including nuclei count, area, and Ki-67 proliferation index.

Main Results:

• Significant negative correlations were found between Ki-67 and ADCmin, ADCmean, and ADCmax.
• ADCmean showed a significant negative correlation with the total nucleic area, indicating higher cellularity.
• Lower ADC values were associated with increased tumor cell proliferation and density.

Conclusions:

• ADC values can serve as a non-invasive biomarker for assessing proliferative activity in PCNSL.
• Reduced ADCmean values suggest increased tumor cellularity, consistent with prior research.
• Diffusion MRI parameters offer valuable insights into the histopathological characteristics of PCNSL.