[Perspectives of X-nuclei magnetic resonance imaging in neuro-oncology]

X‑nuclei magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) yields a broad spectrum of metabolic and functional imaging techniques with increasing clinical feasibility.

Current X‑nuclei techniques in (neuro)oncology with emphasis on potential clinical applications of sodium and oxygen MRI are described and discussed.

Review with discussion of state-of-the-art literature on X‑nuclei imaging.

X‑nuclei MRI employs NMR-sensitive nonproton nuclei to enable both anatomical visualization as well as noninvasive imaging and quantification of physiological processes in the human body. At the moment, sodium MRI represents the most common application of X‑nuclei MRI because of its comparatively high NMR signal. Moreover, its sensitivity to pathological cellular proliferation renders sodium MRI a good candidate for oncological imaging, yielding additional biochemical information to proton MRI. Oxygen MRI is currently primarily investigational, requiring high technical efforts and costs. However, preliminary results show a huge potential of this technique for metabolic characterization of tumors.

X‑nuclei MRI is a rapidly evolving field in metabolic and functional imaging. In coming years, sodium MRI is expected to be increasingly used as an additional clinical tool in oncology to enhance diagnostic accuracy.