GLIOMAS - CORRELATION OF MAGNETIC-SUSCEPTIBILITY ARTIFACT WITH HISTOLOGIC GRADE

PURPOSE: To determine whether magnetic susceptibility artifact on magn etic resonance (MR) images can be used to grade gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with gliomas were prospectively examine d with spin-echo T1-weighted MR imaging without and with contrast mate rial enhancement, spin-echo or fast spin-echo T2- and proton-density-w eighted MR imaging, and gradient-echo T2-weighted MR imaging. Images were reviewed by two neuroradiologists, and susceptibility artifacts i n the tumor region were graded. Heterogeneity, mass effect, contrast e nhancement, and necrosis were also graded. Tumors were graded accordin g to the World Health Organization classification. RESULTS: Increased susceptibility artifact was detected by at least one observer on gradi ent-echo MR images of 19 tumors. This feature was seen on only 10 of t he spin-echo or fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR images of lesions. Fifte en neoplasms with increased susceptibility artifact detected on MR ima ges by at least one observer were high-grade lesions (anaplastic astro cytoma or glioblastoma multiforme). Lesion susceptibility artifact det ected on T2-weighted MR images was associated with tumor grade (P < . 05). CONCLUSION: Susceptibility artifacts on T2-weighted gradient-ech o MR images appear to be valuable in the preoperative evaluation of gl iomas.