Diagnostic Role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Brain Cancers

Mohamed, Hossnia Afifi; Khaled, Manal Farag; Mohamed, Aya Eldesouky

doi:10.21608/aimj.2025.446435

Diagnostic Role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Brain Cancers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/aimj.2025.446435

Abstract

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, in particular, has emerged as the imaging modality most commonly utilized to assess intracranial cancers.
Aim: To assess the role of the recent magnetic resonance imaging tools, such as Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Fiber Tractography, in brain neoplasm diagnosis.
Cases and methods: This investigation involved 40 cases diagnosed with brain cancers dependent on conventional magnetic resonance imaging referred from neurosurgery department to magnetic resonance imaging unite in radio-diagnosis department at Al Zahraa University Hospitals in the period between March 2021 to March 2023.
Results: There was statistically significance as regard diffusion tensor imaging metrics in differentiation between different pathological subtypes were greater mean value of FA in low grade glioma was 0.48±0.07, followed by metastatic deposits was 0.41±0.03, then high grade glioma was 0.24±0.07, with p-value (p<0.001), greater mean value of ADC (x10^3 "mm2/sec") in high grade glioma was 2.00±0.29, followed by metastatic deposits was 1.58±0.44, then low grade glioma was 1.13±0.29, with p-value (p<0.001).
Conclusion: We concluded that the evaluation of the impact of cerebral neoplasms on white matter pathways is significantly more accurate with the assistance of DTI than with conventional magnetic resonance imaging. A cancer may cause one or more of four distinct patterns change of white matter tract. DTI has the potential to be used in the characterization of cancers, and more importantly, in the operative procedures planning.

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