H-1 CHEMICAL-SHIFT IMAGING REVEALS LOSS OF BRAIN-TUMOR CHOLINE SIGNALAFTER ADMINISTRATION OF GD-CONTRAST

H-1 MR spectra obtained by chemical shift imaging (CSI) of contrast-en hancing brain tumors before and after the administration of Gd-contras t agent were quantitated and compared with the results in normal brain tissue included in the volume of interest. Twenty-seven combined magn etic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI, MRS) examinations of bra in tumor lesions included T-1-weighted MRI and CSI (TR/TE 1500/135 ms double-spin echo) repeated 5-10 min after the administration of Gd-con trast agent (0.1-0.2 mM). In H-1 MR spectra of contrast-enhancing tumo r Gd-contrast induced a mean loss of 15% of the peak area of choline-c ontaining compounds (Cho, P < 0.001) that was correlated with precontr ast Cho linewidth (r = -0.72, P < 0.00001). This phenomenon limits the diagnostic use of brain tumor MRS examinations performed immediately after contrast-enhanced MRI.