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Advanced scans could distinguish brain tumors from other damage
Issue date: 3/6/08
In this study, 36 patients with high and low-grade brain tumors were studied as part of the group with neoplastic lesions. Additionally, 33 patients with nonneoplastic lesions, including stroke and multiple sclerosis, were studied. The diagnosis of all of these patients had already been made.
The researchers wanted to see how their new method would compare to the standard. They used conventional MR imaging to identify the region in which the lesion was located. Then perfusion MR and MRSI were performed on patients.
Researchers compared various chemical ratios and blood volumes to better characterize the previous diagnosis. They also tried to establish cutoff values from MRSI and perfusion MR data that would indicate the type of lesion and could be used as diagnostic standards.
MRSI was most successful in distinguishing between high-grade and low-grade tumors. Perfusion MR was also effective in tumor discrimination, yet it could not distinguish between low-grade and benign tumors. Using these methods, the researchers were able to confirm the original diagnosis 84 percent of the time.
Also, MRSI proved effective in diagnosing patients with demyelination, often the result of multiple sclerosis. If these types of lesions cannot be detected with conventional MRI, MRSI provides important metabolite data that can suggest a diagnosis.
Future research into the new applications of these imaging techniques could lead to better diagnostic tools for brain lesions, perhaps minimizing the need for invasive and dangerous biopsies.
The researchers wanted to see how their new method would compare to the standard. They used conventional MR imaging to identify the region in which the lesion was located. Then perfusion MR and MRSI were performed on patients.
Researchers compared various chemical ratios and blood volumes to better characterize the previous diagnosis. They also tried to establish cutoff values from MRSI and perfusion MR data that would indicate the type of lesion and could be used as diagnostic standards.
MRSI was most successful in distinguishing between high-grade and low-grade tumors. Perfusion MR was also effective in tumor discrimination, yet it could not distinguish between low-grade and benign tumors. Using these methods, the researchers were able to confirm the original diagnosis 84 percent of the time.
Also, MRSI proved effective in diagnosing patients with demyelination, often the result of multiple sclerosis. If these types of lesions cannot be detected with conventional MRI, MRSI provides important metabolite data that can suggest a diagnosis.
Future research into the new applications of these imaging techniques could lead to better diagnostic tools for brain lesions, perhaps minimizing the need for invasive and dangerous biopsies.
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