Differentiating different pathological types of astrocytic tumours by diffusion tensor imaging

NIE Tai-ming; JIANG Xing-yue; QIN Dong-jing; ZHANG Lin; LI Quan; WANG Ning

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2014.12.013

Abstract：Objective To determine whether the different pathological types of astrocytic tumours can be differentiated by diffusion tensor MR imaging. Methods In this study, diffusion tensor MR imaging was performed preoperatively in 67 patients with different pathological types of astrocytic tumours. Furthermore , T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR and T1WI enhancement scanning by GD-DTPA were performed preoperatively in all patients. The Mean diffusivity (ADC) values in the tumor parenchyma and normal white matter from different pathological types of astrocytic tumours were measured and analyzed. The ADC with the tumor parenchyma and normal white matter from the tumours were statistically analyzed by SPSS 19.0. The results were expressed as ± s and P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant differences. Results There were many differences with ADC (< 10-9 mm2/s) in the tumor parenchyma between fibrillary astrocytoma (1.48 ± 0.12、0.72 ± 0.05) from fat cell astrocytoma (1.31 ± 0.07, 0.69 ± 0.03), There were also many differences with ADC ( < 10-9 mm2/s) in the tumor parenchyma between fibrillary and fat cell astrocytoma from anaplastic astrocytoma (1.06 ± 0.11, 0.71 ± 0.04) and giant cell glioblastoma (0.98 ± 0.09, 0.73 ± 0.04). There were not differences with ADC in the tumor parenchyma between anaplastic astrocytoma from giant cell gliobastona. Conclusion Measurement of tumor parenchyma′s ADC values can identify different pathological types of astrocytic tumours , but not between anaplastic astrocytoma and giant cell glioblastoma. DTI is essential to preoperative evalution of astrocytic tumours.