Exploring Two Methods of CBV Estimation in Two Groups of Grade III Gliomas with Different Appearance on Post-Contrast T1 Images

Many studies have used Cerebral Blood Volume (CBV) for gliomas grading and there has been in good agreement between CBV and tumor grade. Almost all of those studies have emphasized the importance of leakage correction due to the underestimation/overestimation of CBV caused by T1/T2* leakage effect in enhanced cases of tumors, especially high grade ones.

The aim of this study is to investigate two methods of CBV estimation in two groups of gliomas with the same grade and different appearance on post contrast T1 images (Enhanced vs. Non-enhanced ones).

In this retrospective study, eight glioma patients with histopatologically confirmed grade III were equally divided into two groups (with enhancement (group 1) and without enhancement (group 2)), and retrospectively studied. Imaging was performed on a 3 tesla MR Scanner and included gradient-echo DSC, 3D T1-weighted dataset and FLAIR images. The conventional method of CBV measurement (Integration over the whole curve of CTC- method 1) and the GVF fitting (method 2) was done using Matlab.

The observed mean rCBV in the tumor ROI was 2.85 and 2.12 for group 1 with method 1 and 2, respectively. Mean rCBV in the tumor ROI for group 2 was 1.24 and 1.11 with method 1 and 2, respectively.

In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrated that with combined use of pre-bolus and accounting for T2* effect, CBV could be considered as a criterion for the categorization of glioma tumors.