Utility of simultaneously acquired gradient-echo and spin-echo cerebral blood volume and morphology maps in brain tumor patients

An interleaved gradient-echo (GE) / spin-echo (SE) EPI sequence was used to acquire images during the first pass of a susceptibility contrast agent, i n patients with brain tumors. Maps of 1) GE (total) rCBV (relative cerebral blood volume), 2) SE (microvascular) rCBV, both corrected for T-1 leakage effects, and 3) (Delta R-2*/Delta R-2, a potential marker of averaged vesse l diameter, were determined. Both GE rCBV and Delta R-2*/Delta R-2 correlat ed strongly with tumor grade (P = 0.01, P = 0.01, n = 15), while SE rCBV di d not (P = 0.24, n = 15). When the GE rCBV data were not corrected for leak age effects, the correlation with tumor grade was no longer significant (P = 0.09, n = 15). These findings suggest that MRI measurements of total bloo d volume fraction (corrected for agent extravasation) and Delta R-2*/Delta R-2, as opposed to maps of microvascular volume, may prove to be the most a ppropriate markers for the evaluation of tumor angiogenesis (the induction of new blood vessels) and antiangiogenic therapies. Magn Reson Med 43:845-8 53, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.