Perfusion MR Imaging: Clinical Utility for the Differential Diagnosis of Various Brain Tumors

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of perfusion MR imaging in the differential diagnosis of brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with pathologically proven brain tumors (21 high-grade gliomas, 8 low-grade gliomas, 8 lymphomas, 6 hemangioblastomas, 7 metastases, and 7 various other tumors) were included in this study. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and time-to-peak (TTP) ratios were quantitatively analyzed and the rCBV grade of each tumor was also visually assessed on an rCBV map. RESULTS: The highest rCBV ratios were seen in hemangioblastomas, followed by high-grade gliomas, metastases, low-grade gliomas, and lymphomas. There was no significant difference in TTP ratios between each tumor group (p>0.05). At visual assessment, rCBV was high in 17 (81%) of 21 high-grade gliomas and in 4 (50%) of 8 low-grade gliomas. Hemangioblastomas showed the highest rCBV and lymphomas the lowest. CONCLUSION: Perfusion MR imaging may be helpful in the differentiation of thevarious solid tumors found in the brain, and in assessing the grade of the various glial tumors occurring there.