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Signal intensity in T2’ magnetic resonance imaging is related to brain glioma grade

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Abstract

Objectives

T2’ values reflect the presence of deoxyhaemoglobin related to high local oxygen extraction. We assessed the feasibility of T2’ imaging to display regions with high metabolic activity in brain gliomas.

Methods

MRI was performed in 25 patients (12 female; median age 46 years; range 2–69) with brain gliomas with additional T2 and T2* sequences. T2’ maps were derived from T2 and T2*. Dynamic susceptibility weighted contrast (DSC) perfusion was performed in 12/25 patients. Images were visually assessed by two readers and five ROIs were evaluated for each patient. Pearson correlation, Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were applied for statistical analysis.

Results

Three patients were not further evaluated because of artefacts. Mean values of high-grade (III–IV) gliomas showed significantly lower T2’ values than low-grade (II) gliomas (p < 0.001). An inverse relationship was observed between rCBV and sqr (T2’) (r = −0.463, p < 0.001). No correlation was observed between T2’ and rCBV for grade II tumours (r = 0.038; p = 0.875).

Conclusions

High-grade tumours revealed lower T2’ values, presumably because of higher oxygen consumption in proliferating tissue. Our results indicate that T2’ imaging can be used as an alternative to DSC perfusion in the detection of subtle deviations in tumour metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

L.S. is grateful to the Erasmus Program of the European Union for supporting her stay at Hamburg Eppendorf Universitaetsklinikum. The development of the T2’ technique was supported by the European Union (S.S., Proposal/Contract 027294-I-Know-STREP). Several of the patients were part of the German Glioma Network (107940). J.F. has received speakers’ fees from BRACCO. Funding sources had no influence on the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Ann-Freya Förster, Susanne Siemonsen, Jens Fiehler & Einar Goebell

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, San Martino Hospital, Pad. Specialità, Largo Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy

    Laura Saitta & Lucio Castellan

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

    Oliver Heese & Manfred Westphal

  4. Department of Neuropathology, (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

    Jakob Matschke

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  1. Laura Saitta
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Correspondence to Einar Goebell.

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Saitta, L., Heese, O., Förster, AF. et al. Signal intensity in T2’ magnetic resonance imaging is related to brain glioma grade. Eur Radiol 21, 1068–1076 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-2004-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-2004-3

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