Spin-echo echo-planar perfusion MR imaging in the differential diagnosis of solitary enhancing brain lesions: distinguishing solitary metastases from primary glioma

G S Young; K Setayesh

doi:10.3174/ajnr.A1239

Spin-echo echo-planar perfusion MR imaging in the differential diagnosis of solitary enhancing brain lesions: distinguishing solitary metastases from primary glioma

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2009 Mar;30(3):575-7. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1239. Epub 2008 Dec 18.

Authors

G S Young¹, K Setayesh

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiology of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. GSYOUNG@PARTNERS.ORG

Abstract

Unlike the more widely reported gradient-echo echo-planar perfusion-weighted imaging (EPI-PWI) technique, spin-echo (SE) EPI relative cerebral blood volume maps select for blood volume in microvessels <8 microm in diameter. This first report of SE-EPI PWI for distinguishing brain metastasis from high-grade glioma demonstrated 88% sensitivity and 72% specificity in 83 patients. We discuss differences in microvessel architecture between high-grade glioma and brain metastasis that may explain the surprising success of SE-EPI in this application and may deserve further investigation.

Publication types

Technical Report

MeSH terms

Adenocarcinoma / secondary
Adult
Aged
Astrocytoma / pathology
Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
Brain Neoplasms / secondary*
Breast Neoplasms / pathology
Carcinoma, Basal Cell / secondary
Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
Diagnosis, Differential
Echo-Planar Imaging*
Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology
Female
Glioblastoma / pathology*
Humans
Lung Neoplasms / pathology
Male
Melanoma / secondary
Middle Aged
Models, Neurological
Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
Retrospective Studies
Sarcoma / secondary*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Skin Neoplasms / pathology