Advanced

AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Publication Preview: Published October 22, 2009

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Sasao, A. Articles by Yamashita, Y. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sasao, A. Articles by Yamashita, Y.

American Journal of Neuroradiology
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A1847

BRAIN

Assessment of Vascular Supply of Hypervascular Extra-Axial Brain Tumors with 3T MR Regional Perfusion Imaging

A. Sasao, T. Hirai, S. Nishimura, H. Fukuoka, R. Murakami, M. Kitajima, T. Okuda, M. Akter, M. Morioka, S. Yano, H. Nakamura, K. Makino, J.-i. Kuratsu, K. Awai and Y. Yamashita

From the Departments of Diagnostic Radiology (A.S., T.H., S.N., H.F., M.K., T.O., M.A., K.A., Y.Y.), Neurosurgery (M.M., S.Y., H.N., K.M., J.-i.K.), and Radiation Oncology (R.M.), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.

Please address correspondence to Toshinori Hirai, MD, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan; e-mail: t-hirai{at}kumamoto-u.ac.jp

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The vascular supply of extra-axial brain tumors provided by the external carotid artery has not been studied with RPI. The purpose of this work was to determine whether RPI assessment is feasible and provides information on the vascular supply of hypervascular extra-axial brain tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional ASL and RPI studies were performed at 3T in 8 consecutive patients with meningioma. On the basis of MRA results, we performed RPI by placing a selective labeling slab over the external carotid artery. Five patients underwent DSA before surgery. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the overall image quality, the degree of tumor perfusion, and the extent of the tumor vascular territory on conventional ASL and RPI.

RESULTS: In overall quality of conventional ASL and RPI, no images interfered with interpretation. In comparisons of the vascular tumor territory identified by the conventional ASL and RPI techniques, the territories coincided in 3 cases, were partially different in 4, and completely different in 1. The interobserver agreement was very good ( = 0.82). In 5 patients who underwent DSA, the 4 patients in whom the dominant supply was the external carotid artery were scored as coincided or partially different. The 1 patient in whom the vascular supply was from the internal carotid artery was scored as completely different.

CONCLUSIONS: RPI with selective labeling of the external carotid artery is feasible and may provide information about the vascular supply of hypervascular extra-axial brain tumors.

Abbreviations: TFE, turbo field echo