Abstract
Purpose To investigate the ability of qualitative Magnetic Resonance (MR) images features and quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) texture features in the contrastive analysis between craniopharyngioma and meningioma. Method A total number of 127 patients were included in this study (craniopharyngioma = 63; meningioma = 64). All the features analyzed in this study were acquired from preoperative MRI images. Qualitative MR images features were evaluated with chi-square tests or Fisher exact test, while MRI texture features were evaluated with the Mann–Whitney U test with the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Then binary logistic regression analysis for texture features was performed to evaluate their ability as independent predictors, and the diagnostic accuracy was calculated next for these texture features with high abilities as independent predictors using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Four qualitative MR images features showed significant difference between craniopharyngioma and meningioma, but only cystic alteration could be considered as diagnostic independent predictors. Meanwhile, three quantitative parameters, histogram-based matrix- (HISTO-) Skewness, Grey-level co-occurrence matrix- (GLCM-) Contrast on contrast-enhanced images, and HISTO-Skewness on images of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), showed promising abilities in the contrastive analysis. Besides, these texture features were found significantly to be relative to cystic alteration. Conclusion MR images features and texture features were useful in the contrastive analysis of craniopharyngioma and meningioma. Furthermore, qualitative MR images features and MRI texture features could be related to each other.
Highlights
Craniopharyngioma and meningioma are two of the most common benign tumors in the sellar or parasellar area
Meningioma presents approximately 36% of all central nervous system tumors, with an occurrence rate of 7.61/100000 [5, 6]. e patients with craniopharyngioma and meningioma in the sellar/parasellar area may suffer from similar symptoms, headache, visual change, and pituitary dysfunction, which are caused by the anatomical proximity of the tumor to the optic nerve/chiasma and hypothalamic-pituitary axes [7,8,9,10]
We evaluated the following qualitative Magnetic Resonance (MR) images features based on the clinical experience and the previous studies: (1) signal intensity compared with normal tissue on contrast-enhanced images and images of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), (2) heterogeneity on contrast-enhanced images and images of T2WI, (3) unenhanced area (s), (4) cystic alteration (s) on contrast-enhanced images or images of T2WI, and (5) the presence of air-fluid level
Summary
Craniopharyngioma and meningioma are two of the most common benign tumors in the sellar or parasellar area. Craniopharyngioma presents approximately 2.5%–4% of the brain tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard preoperative modality to detect craniopharyngioma or meningioma. E different MRI imaging features can provide feasible information in the contrastive analysis [11]. The contrastive analysis of these tumors still remains to be a challenge because craniopharyngiomas may mimic meningiomas in the sellar/parasellar area in some cases [12]. We analyzed Magnetic Resonance (MR) images features, MRI texture features, and the possible relationship of MR images features and MRI texture features to evaluate their abilities in contrastive analysis between craniopharyngioma and meningioma
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