Paediatric supratentorial tumours do not cause microstructural alterations in contralateral white matter: a...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neuro-oncology
• Neuroimaging
• White matter microstructure

Background:

• Intracranial tumors in children differ from adult presentations.
• Understanding microstructural changes in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) is crucial for pediatric treatment optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes in contralateral NAWM in pediatric patients with primary intracranial masses.
• To utilize fully automated methods and deep learning algorithms for analyzing diffusion changes.

Main Methods:

• Included 22 pediatric patients with primary supratentorial intracranial masses.
• Compared ADC values of contralateral NAWM between patient and control groups.
• Employed deep learning algorithms for diffusion analysis.

Main Results:

• Mean ADC values in the patient group (0.80 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) were not significantly different from the control group (0.81 × 10⁻³ mm²/s).
• No statistically significant diffusion changes were observed in the contralateral white matter (p=0.39).

Conclusions:

• Primary supratentorial intracranial masses in children do not induce microstructural changes in contralateral NAWM.
• This may be due to the less infiltrative nature and distinct biochemical profile of pediatric tumors.
• Further research with advanced imaging is recommended for improved patient management.