Machine learning based on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme from...

To evaluate the performance of a machine learning method based on texture features in multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to differentiate a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from a primary cerebral nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

We included 70 patients who underwent contrast enhanced brain MRI at 3 T with brain tumors diagnosed as GBM (n = 45) and PCNSL (n = 25) in this retrospective study. Twelve histograms and texture parameters were assessed on T2-weighted images (T2WIs), apparent diffusion coefficient maps, relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) map, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (CE-T1WIs). A prediction model was developed using a machine learning method (univariate logistic regression and multivariate eXtreme gradient boosting-XGBoost) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of this model was calculated via 10-fold cross validation. In addition, the performance of the machine learning method was compared with the judgments of two board certified radiologists.

With the univariate logistic regression model, the standard deviation of rCBV offered the highest AUC (0.86), followed by mean value of rCBV (0.83), skewness of CE-T1WI (0.78), mean value of CET1 (0.78), and max value of rCBV (0.77). The AUC of the XGBoost was significantly higher than the two radiologists (0.98 vs. 0.84; p < 0.01 and 0.98 vs. 0.79; p < 0.01, respectively).

The performance of machine learning based on histogram and texture features in multi-parametric MRI was superior to that of conventional cut-off method and the board certified radiologists to differentiate a GBM from a PCNSL.