Abstract
Purpose
To present the imaging and perfusion data obtained in nine patients with pilocytic astrocytomas (PA) and to discuss the original functional issues of this technique.
Method
Nine patients with pathologically proven PA underwent conventional and perfusion MR imaging. Various areas of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) within the tumors were obtained. The maximum rCBV ratios were identified and considered as representative of the tumor. The results were compared with the pathological findings.
Results
In all patients, rCBV was <1.5 (mean 1) and the signal intensity curve overshot the baseline.
Conclusion
PA tend to have low rCBV values and a first-pass curve that crosses the baseline. These characteristics may be explained by the histological profile of the tumoral vascularity and are of relevance in the identification of these rare tumors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burger PC, Scheithauer BW, Paulus W, Szymas J, Giannini C, Kleihues P (2000) Pilocytic astrocytomas. In: Kleihues P, Cavenee WK (eds) Pathology and genetics of tumours of the nervous system. , IARC, Lyon, pp 45–51
Cha S (2003) Perfusion MR imaging: basic principles and clinical applications. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 11:403–413
Fulham MJ, Melisi JW, Nishimiya J, Dwyer AJ, Di Chiro G (1993) Neuroimaging of juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas: an enigma. Radiology 189:221–225
Giannini C, Scheithauer BW (1997) Classification and grading of low-grade astrocytic tumors in children. Brain Pathol 7:785–798
Hartmann M, Heiland S, Harting I, Tronnier VM, Sommer C, Ludwig R, Sartor K (2003) Distinguishing of primary cerebral lymphoma from high-grade glioma with perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Neurosci Lett 338:119–122
Jiddane M, Nicoli F, Diaz P, Bergvall U, Vincentelli F, Hassoun J, Salamon G (1986) Intracranial malignant lymphoma. Report of 30 cases and review of the literature. J Neurosurg 65:592–599
Knopp EA, Cha S, Johnson G, Mazumdar A, Golfinos JG, Zagzag D, Miller DC, Kelly PJ, Kricheff II (1999) Glial neoplasms: dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted MR imaging. Radiology 211:791–798
Kremer S, Grand S, Remy C, Esteve F, Lefournier V, Pasquier B, Hoffmann D, Benabid AL, Le Bas JF (2002) Cerebral blood volume mapping by MR imaging in the initial evaluation of brain tumors. J Neuroradiol 29:105–113
Lee YY, Van Tassel P, Bruner JM, Moser RP, Share JC (1989) Juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas: CT and MR characteristics. AJR Am J Roentgenol 152:1263–1270
Leonov MA, Arutiunov NV, Kornienko VN (2005) X-ray diagnosis of hemangioblastomas of the posterior cranial fossa. Zh Vopr Neirokhir Im N N Burdenko Jan-Mar;(1):20–24; discussion 24
Lev MH, Ozsunar Y, Henson JW, Rasheed AA, Barest GD, Harsh GR 4th, Fitzek MM, Chiocca EA, Rabinov JD, Csavoy AN, Rosen BR, Hochberg FH, Schaefer PW, Gonzalez RG (2004) Glial tumor grading and outcome prediction using dynamic spin-echo MR susceptibility mapping compared with conventional contrast-enhanced MR: confounding effect of elevated rCBV of oligodendrogliomas [corrected]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 25:214–221
Maeda M, Itoh S, Kimura H, Iwasaki T, Hayashi N, Yamamoto K, Ishii Y, Kubota T (1993) Tumor vascularity in the brain: evaluation with dynamic susceptibility-contrast MR imaging. Radiology 189:233–238
Paulus W, Jellinger K, Morgello S, Deckert-Schluter M (2000) Malignant lymphoma. In: Kleihues P, Cavenee WK (eds) Pathology and genetics of tumors of the nervous system. IARC, Lyon, pp 198–203
Sato K, Rorke LB (1989) Vascular bundles and wickerworks in childhood brain tumors. Pediatr Neurosci 15:105–110
Strong JA, Hatten HP Jr, Brown MT, Debatin JF, Friedman HS, Oakes WJ, Tien R (1993) Pilocytic astrocytoma: correlation between the initial imaging features and clinical aggressiveness. AJR Am J Roentgenol 161:369–372
Sugahara T, Korogi Y, Kochi M, Ikushima I, Hirai T, Okuda T, Shigematsu Y, Liang L, Ge Y, Ushio Y, Takahashi M (1998) Correlation of MR imaging-determined cerebral blood volume maps with histologic and angiographic determination of vascularity of gliomas. AJR Am J Roentgenol 171:1479–1486
Sugahara T, Korogi Y, Shigematsu Y, Hirai T, Ikushima I, Liang L, Ushio Y, Takahashi M (1999) Perfusion-sensitive MRI of cerebral lymphomas: a preliminary report. J Comput Assist Tomogr 23:232–237
Sugahara T, Korogi Y, Tomiguchi S, Shigematsu Y, Ikushima I, Kira T, Liang L, Ushio Y, Takahashi M (2000) Posttherapeutic intraaxial brain tumor: the value of perfusion-sensitive contrast-enhanced MR imaging for differentiating tumor recurrence from nonneoplastic contrast-enhancing tissue. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 21:901–909
Uematsu H, Maeda M (2006) Double-echo perfusion-weighted MR imaging: basic concepts and application in brain tumors for the assessment of tumor blood volume and vascular permeability. Eur Radiol 16:180–186
Uematsu H, Maeda M, Sadato N, Ishimori Y, Matsuda T, Koshimoto Y, Kimura H, Yamada H, Kawamura Y, Takeuchi H, Yonekura Y, Itoh H (2002) Measurement of the vascularity and vascular leakage of gliomas by double-echo dynamic magnetic resonance imaging: a preliminary study. Invest Radiol 37:571–576
Conflict of interest statement
We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grand, S.D., Kremer, S., Tropres, I.M. et al. Perfusion-sensitive MRI of pilocytic astrocytomas: initial results. Neuroradiology 49, 545–550 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-006-0204-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-006-0204-y