(18)FDG-PET IN INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMAS V ERSUS GRADING, PROLIFERATION INDEX, CELLULAR DENSITY AND CYTOGENETICAL ANALYSIS

62 intracranial meningiomas in 60 patients were studied with F-18DG-PE T prior to neurosurgery in order to evaluate the relationship between F-18DG uptake and biological aggressiveness of the tumors. Histopathol ogical grading, cellular density, Ki-67 proliferation index and eviden ce of chromosomal aberrations were used to assess tumor aggressiveness . Significantly elevated F-18DG uptake was found in grade 2- and 3- co mpared to grade 1-meningiomas, in tumors of high cellularity compared with those of low cellularity, and in meningiomas with an elevated Ki- 67 proliferation index (above 2%). The two meningiomas with the most p ronounced chromosomal aberrations revealed the highest F-18DG uptake o f all cytogenetically studied meningiomas. We conclude that F-18DG-PET is useful for estimating the biological aggressiveness of intracrania l meningiomas.