Advantages and limitations of the use of tractography and fMRI in the treatment of anaplastic glioma

Abstract

The possibility of using only tractography as a preoperative diagnosis of anaplastic glioma is limited due to its inability to show the exact functional location of the tumor; therefore, the combination of tractography and fMRI seems to be a more promising complex diagnostic method. In neurooncology, complete resection without or with minimal neurological deficit is the goal of surgical intervention. The aim of the study was to investigate the advantages and limitations of the use of tractography and fMRI in the treatment of anaplastic glioma compared to standard CT or MRI. The study involved 48 patients who were divided into two groups based on the use of fMRI and tractography: group A (24 patients) and without it — group B (24 patients). The groups were compared in terms of age, sex, histological subtype of anaplastic glioma, degree of resection, postoperative complications, and dynamics of neurological disorders. The combination of fMRI and tractography is the best preoperative diagnosis, it is safe and allows localizing neural pathways, preserve them during surgery, and reduce postoperative neurological deficits.