Role of ADC values and ratios of MRI scan in differentiating typical from atypical/anaplastic meningiomas

Area of Science:

• Neuroradiology
• Neuro-oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Atypical/anaplastic meningiomas exhibit aggressive behavior, complicating treatment strategies and prognosis.
• Accurate differentiation between typical and atypical/anaplastic meningiomas is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) values derived from preoperative MRI in distinguishing typical meningiomas from atypical/anaplastic subtypes.
• To determine if ADC values and ADC ratios can serve as reliable biomarkers for meningioma grading.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of preoperative MRI brain scans from 84 typical and 37 atypical/anaplastic meningiomas.
• Comparison of mean ADC values and ADC ratios between the two groups at 1.5T and 3T MRI.
• Statistical analysis to assess the significance of differences in ADC metrics.

Main Results:

• Significantly lower mean ADC values were observed in atypical/anaplastic meningiomas compared to typical meningiomas at both 1.5T (0.70±0.04x10⁻³ vs 1.05±0.11x10⁻³) and 3T (0.63±0.05x10⁻³ vs 1.03±0.10x10⁻³).
• Mean ADC ratios were also significantly lower for atypical/anaplastic meningiomas (0.85±0.15) than for typical meningiomas (1.08±0.17).
• The differences in both mean ADC values and ADC ratios were statistically significant (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• ADC values and ADC ratios are valuable quantitative parameters for differentiating typical from atypical/anaplastic meningiomas on preoperative MRI.
• Incorporating ADC metrics into routine preoperative MRI reporting can enhance diagnostic accuracy and guide clinical decision-making for meningioma patients.