Diffusion tensor imaging in brain tumors: The role of fractional anisotropy values
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the role of Fractional anisotropy (FA) values obtained from diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) in the differentiation and grading of brain tumors.
Materials and Methods: This study examined the conventional and diffusion tensor MR imaging findings of twenty-seven patients diagnosed with brain tumors between 2008 and 2010. Patients were divided into four groups based on tumor types; meningiomas, low-grade gliomas, high-grade gliomas, and metastases. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were then obtained from the solid components and (if present) peritumoral vasogenic edema of the tumors for each patient by using the region of interest (ROI) method. Finally, the patient groups were analyzed in terms of any statistically significant differences.
Results: The FA values obtained from the solid portions and peritumoral edema of meningiomas were found to be higher than those of all other groups (p<0.015). Moreover, the FA values of high-grade gliomas were found to be higher than those of low-grade gliomas (p=0.042). Finally, no statistically significant difference was observed between high-grade gliomas and metastases in terms of the FA values of solid components and peritumoral edema.
Conclusion: The determination of FA values among DTI results can be a useful method for differentiating brain tumors such as meningioma, low-grade glioma, high-grade glioma, and metastasis, as the treatment protocols and prognoses of each may differ. Moreover, FA values may contribute preoperatively to the differentiation of brain tumors in multimodal brain tumor imaging. It would be useful to use diffusion tensor imaging in conjunction with conventional MRI in the imaging of brain tumors.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Health Care Administration
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Dinçer Aydın Akyılmaz
*
0000-0002-2305-893X
Türkiye
Mehmet Cem Çallı
0000-0001-9295-2866
Türkiye
Erkin Özgiray
0000-0002-1156-9468
Türkiye
Yeşim Ertan
0000-0002-4522-0774
Türkiye
Emine Serra Kamer
0000-0001-8316-9976
Türkiye
Ömer Kitiş
0000-0003-4201-5449
Türkiye
Publication Date
September 20, 2019
Submission Date
June 28, 2018
Acceptance Date
July 20, 2018
Published in Issue
Year 2019 Volume: 58 Number: 3
Cited By
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