Parameters from T1-Weighted Dynamic Contrast-EnhancedMR

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The usefulness of pharmacokinetic parameters for glioma grading has been reported based on the perfusion data from parts of entire-tumor volumes. However, the perfusion values may not reflect the entire-tumor characteristics. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility of glioma grading by using histogram analyses of pharmacokinetic parameters including the volume transfer constant, extravascular extracellular space volume per unit volume of tissue, and blood plasma volume per unit volume of tissue from T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (14 men, 14 women; mean age, 49.75 years; age range, 25–72 years) with histopatho-logically confirmed gliomas (World Health Organization grade II, n 7; grade III, n 8; grade IV, n 13) were examined before surgery or biopsy with conventional MR imaging and T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusionMR imaging at 3T. Volume transfer constant, extravascular extracellular space volume per unit volume of tissue, and blood plasma volume per unit volume of tissue were calculated from the entire-tumor volume. Histogram analyses from these parameters were correlated with glioma grades. The parameters with the best percentile from cumulative histogramswere identified by analysis of the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic analysis and were compared by using multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis for distinguishing high- from low-grade gliomas. RESULTS: All parametric values increased with increasing glioma grade. There were significant differences among the 3 grades in all parameters (P .01). For the differentiation of high- and low-grade gliomas, the highest area under the curve values were found at the 98t