Tumour blood flow and partition coefficients: correlation with grade of cerebral gliomas using xenon-enhanced computed tomography

Neuroradiology. 1997 Sep;39(9):627-32. doi: 10.1007/s002340050481.

Abstract

It is possible to underestimate the grade of nonenhancing cerebral tumours on conventional contrast-enhanced MRI or CT. Differentiation of high- and low-grade gliomas by measurement of the brain-blood partition coefficient lambda (T lambda) with Xe-enhanced CT (XeCT) has been reported. We assessed the practical applications of XeCT in suspected low-grade astrocytomas. We examined 15 patients with tumours which showed no contrast enhancement on conventional MRI and CT, using XeCT. Tumour blood flow (TBF) and T lambda were calculated. Fourteen patients underwent surgery, one patient had a biopsy. We recognized three histological groups. While T lambda differed significantly between them, TBF did not. Group 1 contained grade II-III astrocytomas and T lambda was 0.77; group 2 contained grade I-II astrocytomas with T lambda 1.14, and group 3 four oligodendrogliomas in which a T lambda of 1.50 was found.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Astrocytoma / blood supply*
  • Astrocytoma / diagnosis
  • Astrocytoma / pathology
  • Biopsy
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / physiology*
  • Brain / blood supply
  • Brain / pathology
  • Contrast Media*
  • Female
  • Glioma / blood supply*
  • Glioma / diagnosis
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oligodendroglioma / blood supply*
  • Oligodendroglioma / diagnosis
  • Oligodendroglioma / pathology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Stereotaxic Techniques
  • Supratentorial Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Supratentorial Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Supratentorial Neoplasms / pathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
  • Xenon*

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Xenon