Can Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Combined with Texture Analysis Differentiate Malignant Glioneuronal Tumors from Other Glioblastoma?

Abstract EN

An interesting approach has been proposed to differentiate malignant glioneuronal tumors (MGNTs) as a subclass of the WHO grade III and IV malignant gliomas.

MGNT histologically resemble any WHO grade III or IV glioma but have a different biological behavior, presenting a survival twice longer as WHO glioblastomas and a lower occurrence of metastases.

However, neurofilament protein immunostaining was required for identification of MGNT.

Using two complementary methods, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and texture analysis (MRI-TA) from the same acquisition process, the challenge is to in vivo identify MGNT and demonstrate that MRI postprocessing could contribute to a better typing and grading of glioblastoma.

Results are obtained on a preliminary group of 19 patients a posteriori selected for a blind investigation of DCE T1-weighted and TA at 1.5 T.

The optimal classification (0/11 misclassified MGNT) is obtained by combining the two methods, DCE-MRI and MRI-TA.