Quantitative analysis of neovascular permeability in glioma by dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging

Abstract

This study was designed to quantitatively analyse neovascular permeability in glioma by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE–MRI). Forty-four patients with glioma were included in this study. The highest value of volume transfer constant (Ktrans) and volume of extravascular extracellular space per unit volume of tissue (Ve) were obtained and the differences in Ktrans and Ve between low-grade glioma (LGG) and high-grade glioma (HGG) were analyzed. The correlations between Ktrans, Ve and glioma grade were performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted. The values of Ktrans and Ve of LGG were significantly lower than those of HGG. The correlation analysis demonstrated statistically significant relationships between Ktrans and glioma grade, between Ve and glioma grade, and between Ktrans and Ve. The ROC curve analyses of Ktrans (0.035/min) and Ve (0.130) for differentiating LGG from HGG were statistically significant. Thus, DCE–MRI can be used to estimate neovascular permeability and for pre-operative grading of glioma.