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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Longitudinal evaluation of tumor microenvironment in rat focal brainstem glioma using diffusion and perfusion MRI
Kulam Najmudeen Magdoom1, Francisco Delgado2, Ana C Bohórquez2
1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Background:
Brainstem gliomas are aggressive and difficult to treat. Growth of these tumors may be characterized with MRI methods.
Purpose:
To visualize longitudinal changes in tumor volume, vascular leakiness, and tissue microstructure in an animal model of brainstem glioma.
Study Type:
Prospective animal model.
Animal Model:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 9) were imaged with 9L gliosarcoma cells infused into the pontine reticular formation of the brainstem. The MRI tumor microenvironment was studied at 3 and 10 days postimplantation of tumor cells.
Field Strength/Sequence:
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI were performed at 4.7T using spin-echo multislice echo planar imaging and gradient echo multislice imaging, respectively.
Assessment:
Tumor leakiness was assessed by the forward volumetric transfer constant, Ktrans , estimated from DCE-MRI data. Tumor structure was evaluated with fractional anisotropy (FA) obtained from DTI. Tumor volumes, delineated by a T1 map, T2 -weighted image, FA, and DCE signal enhancement were compared.
Statistical Tests:
Changes in the assessed parameters within and across the groups (ie, rats 3 and 10 days post tumor cell implantation) were evaluated with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.
Results:
Day 3 tumors were visible mainly on contrast-enhanced images, while day 10 tumors were visible in both contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted images. Mean Ktrans at day 10 was 41% lower than at day 3 (P = 0.23). In day 10 tumors, FA was regionally lower in the tumor compared to normal tissue (P = 0.0004), and tumor volume, segmented based on FA map, was significantly smaller (P ≤ 0.05) than that obtained from other contrasts.
Data Conclusion:
Contrast-enhanced MRI was found to be more sensitive in detecting early-stage tumor boundaries than other contrasts. Areas of the tumor outlined by DCE-MRI and DTI were significantly different. Over the observed period of tumor growth, average vessel leakiness decreased with tumor progression.
Level Of Evidence:
2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1322-1332.
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