Tumor vascularity in the brain: evaluation with dynamic susceptibility-contrast MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of dynamic susceptibility-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnosis of intraaxial brain tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with such tumors (two hemangioblastomas, five low-grade astrocytomas, and three glioblastomas) underwent examination at 1.5 T. After bolus injection of 0.15 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine, gradient-echo MR images were obtained every 3.6 seconds for 90 seconds. Region-of-interest analyses were performed in all tumors.

RESULTS: The greatest loss in signal intensity during the first pass of the contrast agent was seen in hemangioblastomas; low-grade astrocytomas had the least loss. The differences in integration of change in the T2* relaxation rate were significant among the three types of tumor (hemangioblastomas vs low-grade astrocytomas, P < .001; hemangioblastomas vs glioblastomas, P < .005; and glioblastomas vs low-grade astrocytomas, P < .02) and indicated differences in vascularity.

CONCLUSION: Dynamic susceptibility-contrast MR imaging can provide useful hemodynamic information about intraaxial brain tumors that is not provided by standard MR imaging and therefore contributes to the differential diagnosis.