Evaluation of the response of metastatic brain tumors to stereotactic radiosurgery by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, 201TlCl single-photon emission computerized tomography, and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

2004 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 835-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teruo Kimura ◽  
Kazuhiro Sako ◽  
Kunio Tanaka ◽  
Takumi Gotoh ◽  
Hiroshi Yoshida ◽  
...  

Object. The goal of this study was to investigate the usefulness of proton (1H) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy to evaluate the response of metastatic brain tumors to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in comparison with Gd-enhanced MR imaging and single-photon emission computerized tomography with administration of thallium-201 chloride (201TlCl-SPECT). Methods. Forty patients with a total of 47 metastatic brain tumors were evaluated. The primary lesion was identified in all cases. Stereotactic radiosurgery was effective in 37 lesions. All patients were examined using Gd-enhanced MR imaging before and after SRS. Thalium-201 chloride was administered to 27 patients with 34 tumors and SPECT images were obtained. Proton MR spectroscopy was performed in 36 patients who harbored 43 tumors. On Gd-enhanced MR images, a decrease in the volume of the Gd-enhanced lesion and a change in the enhanced effect in the lesion after treatment were recognized as showing the effectiveness of SRS between 1 and 3 months or more (mean 8.54 ± 3.58 weeks). In 201TlCl-SPECT studies, the ratio of lesion to normal brain decreased from 2 weeks to 2 months (mean 5.03 ± 2.77 weeks) after radiosurgery. On 1H-MR spectroscopy images a high choline (Cho) peak and a lipiddominant (Lip) peak were observed in 25 lesions and a high Cho peak and a lactate-dominant (Lac) peak were observed in 12 lesions before SRS. A decrease in the Cho peak, a disappearance of the Lac peak, and an increase in the Lip peak were observed between 1 week and 1 month (mean 2.76 ± 1.62 weeks) after treatment. Conclusions. Based on histopathological findings obtained at autopsy or at surgery, we assume that a high Cho peak may be observed in viable tumor tissue and a Lip peak in areas of necrosis. The results indicate that 1H-MR spectroscopy is potentially a more sensitive tool in evaluating the response to SRS than 201TlCl-SPECT or Gd-enhanced MR imaging and that it can be used earlier for this purpose than those other imaging methods.

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
pp. 266-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Serizawa ◽  
Naokatsu Saeki ◽  
Yoshinori Higuchi ◽  
Junichi Ono ◽  
Shinji Matsuda ◽  
...  

Object.The authors assessed the diagnostic value of201Tl Cl single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), performed after gamma knife surgery (GKS) for metastatic brain tumors in differentiating tumor recurrence from radiation injury.Methods.Of 6503 metastatic brain tumors treated with GKS,201Tl SPECT was required in 72 to differentiate between tumor recurrence and radiation injury. When the Tl index was greater than 5, the lesion was diagnosed as a tumor recurrence. When the index was < 3.0 it was called radiation injury. In cases with a Tl index between 3 and 5,201Tl SPECT was repeated once per month until the Tl index was greater than 5 or less than 3. If the Tl index fluctuated between 3 and 5 for 2 months, the lesion was diagnosed as radiation injury. The final diagnosis was based on histological examination or clinical course.The sensitivity of the method was 91%; thus201Tl SPECT is effective for differentiating between tumor recurrence and radiation injury in metastatic brain tumors treated with GKS. Caution is necessary, however, for the following reasons: 1) simple interinstitutional comparisons of Tl indices are not possible because measurement methods are institute specific; 2) steroid administration decreases the Tl index to a variable degree; and 3) a severe radiation injury lesion, as is often seen after repeated GKS or very high dose GKS, may have a Tl index greater than 5.Conclusions.Used with critical insight201Tl Cl SPECT can be useful in distinguishing between tumor regrowth and radiation necrosis in patients with cerebral metastases.


2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 266-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Serizawa ◽  
Naokatsu Saeki ◽  
Yoshinori Higuchi ◽  
Junichi Ono ◽  
Shinji Matsuda ◽  
...  

Object. The authors assessed the diagnostic value of 201Tl Cl single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), performed after gamma knife surgery (GKS) for metastatic brain tumors in differentiating tumor recurrence from radiation injury. Methods. Of 6503 metastatic brain tumors treated with GKS, 201Tl SPECT was required in 72 to differentiate between tumor recurrence and radiation injury. When the Tl index was greater than 5, the lesion was diagnosed as a tumor recurrence. When the index was < 3.0 it was called radiation injury. In cases with a Tl index between 3 and 5, 201Tl SPECT was repeated once per month until the Tl index was greater than 5 or less than 3. If the Tl index fluctuated between 3 and 5 for 2 months, the lesion was diagnosed as radiation injury. The final diagnosis was based on histological examination or clinical course. The sensitivity of the method was 91%; thus 201Tl SPECT is effective for differentiating between tumor recurrence and radiation injury in metastatic brain tumors treated with GKS. Caution is necessary, however, for the following reasons: 1) simple interinstitutional comparisons of Tl indices are not possible because measurement methods are institute specific; 2) steroid administration decreases the Tl index to a variable degree; and 3) a severe radiation injury lesion, as is often seen after repeated GKS or very high dose GKS, may have a Tl index greater than 5. Conclusions. Used with critical insight 201Tl Cl SPECT can be useful in distinguishing between tumor regrowth and radiation necrosis in patients with cerebral metastases.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif Østergaard ◽  
Fred H. Hochberg ◽  
James D. Rabinov ◽  
A. Gregory Sorensen ◽  
Michael Lev ◽  
...  

Object. In this study the authors assessed the early changes in brain tumor physiology associated with glucocorticoid administration. Glucocorticoids have a dramatic effect on symptoms in patients with brain tumors over a time scale ranging from minutes to a few hours. Previous studies have indicated that glucocorticoids may act either by decreasing cerebral blood volume (CBV) or blood-tumor barrier (BTB) permeability and thereby the degree of vasogenic edema.Methods. Using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the authors examined the acute changes in CBV, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and BTB permeability to gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid after administration of dexamethasone in six patients with brain tumors. In patients with acute decreases in BTB permeability after dexamethasone administration, changes in the degree of edema were assessed using the apparent diffusion coefficient of water.Conclusions. Dexamethasone was found to cause a dramatic decrease in BTB permeability and regional CBV but no significant changes in CBF or the degree of edema. The authors found that MR imaging provides a powerful tool for investigating the pathophysiological changes associated with the clinical effects of glucocorticoids.


1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tali Siegal ◽  
Rina Rubinstein ◽  
Tzahala Tzuk-Shina ◽  
John M. Gomori

✓ It was recently demonstrated that imaging of brain tumors by relative cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps reconstructed from dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) data provide similar diagnostic information compared to positron emission tomography (PET) or 201Tl single-photon emission computerized tomography (201Tl-SPECT) scans. The authors used relative CBV mapping for routine follow-up evaluation of patients with brain tumors and compared its sensitivity to diagnostic MR imaging, 201Tl-SPECT and clinical assessment. Fifty-nine patients were prospectively followed using 191 concomitant studies of dual section relative CBV maps, MR imaging, 201Tl-SPECT, and neurological evaluations. Studies were repeated every 2 to 3 months (median three evaluations/patient). The relative CBV maps were graded as relative CBV 0 to 4, where Grades 3 and 4 are indicative of proliferating tumors (four = rapid leak). There were 44 high-grade and 15 low-grade tumors followed during treatment. During the follow-up period a change in relative CBV grade was observed in 56% of the patients, revealing an increasing grade in 72% of them. The rapid leak phenomenon was detected in 35% of all studies and in 81% of those with a worsening relative CBV grade. Tumor progression was detected earlier by relative CBV maps as follows: earlier than MR imaging in 32% of the studies (earlier by a median of 4.5 months; p < 0.01); earlier than 201Tl-SPECT in 63% (median 4.5 months; p < 0.01), and earlier than clinical assessment in 55% (median 6 months; p < 0.01). In 82% of studies with positive MR imaging but negative 201Tl-SPECT, the lesions were smaller than 1.5 cm. The relative CBV maps clearly delineated the appearance of rapid leak in these lesions. Routine use of relative CBV maps that can be implemented on any high-field MR unit and added to the regular MR evaluation provides useful functional information in patients with brain tumors. When used as an adjunct follow-up evaluation it proved more sensitive than the other modalities for early prediction of tumor growth. It is very sensitive to small regional changes, unlike functional imaging such as PET or SPECT scans. Based on previous experience with 76 regional CBV studies, the authors conclude that regional CBV mapping correlates with active tumor and it may separate enhancing scar and radiation injury from infiltrative tumor. A new effect named the rapid leak phenomenon was also observed; this phenomenon, as identified on the regional CBV maps, correlates with high malignancy.


2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Stadlbauer ◽  
Ewald Moser ◽  
Stephan Gruber ◽  
Christopher Nimsky ◽  
Rudolf Fahlbusch ◽  
...  

Object. It is often difficult to delineate the extent of invasion of high- and low-grade gliomas into normal brain tissue by using conventional T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Knowledge of the relationship between the tumor infiltration zone and normal brain, however, is one of the prerequisites for performing as radical a tumor resection as possible. Proton MR spectroscopy allows noninvasive measurements of the concentrations and spatial distributions of brain metabolites and, therefore, may provide biochemical information in vivo, that is useful in distinguishing pathological from normal areas of the brain. The authors have developed a method to use the properties of MR spectroscopy to investigate intraoperatively pathological changes in the spatial distribution of choline (Cho)-containing compounds, total creatine, and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in brain tumors with the aid of frameless stereotaxy. Methods. Maps of the Cho/NAA ratio were calculated and automatic segmentation of the tumors was performed. Spectroscopic images of the segmented tumor were matched to an anatomical three-dimensional (3D) MR imaging set by applying a fully automated mutual-information algorithm. The resulting 3D MR image can be used subsequently for neurosurgical planning, transfer to a frameless stereotactic system, and display in the navigation microscope during surgery leading to 1H-MR spectroscopy-guided navigation. Conclusions. This method may allow better intraoperative identification of tumor border zones based on metabolic changes due to tumor infiltration.


1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damianos E. Sakas ◽  
M. Ross Bullock ◽  
James Patterson ◽  
Donald Hadley ◽  
David J. Wyper ◽  
...  

✓ To assess the relationship between posttraumatic cerebral hyperemia and focal cerebral damage, the authors performed cerebral blood flow mapping studies by single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) in 53 patients within 3 weeks of brain injury. Focal zones of hyperemia were present in 38% of patients. Hyperemia was correlated with clinical features and early computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed within 48 hours of the SPECT study and late CT and MR studies at 3 months. The hyperemia was observed primarily in structurally normal brain tissue (both gray and white matter), as revealed by CT and MR imaging, immediately adjacent to intraparenchymal or extracerebral focal lesions; it persisted for up to 10 days, but was never seen within the edematous pericontusional zones. The percentage of patients in the hyperemic group having brief (< 30 minutes) or no loss of consciousness was significantly higher than in the nonhyperemic group (twice as high, p < 0.05). Other clinical parameters were not significantly more common in the hyperemic group. The mortality of patients with focal hyperemia was lower than that of individuals without it, and the outcome of survivors with hyperemia was slightly better than patients without hyperemia. These results differ from the literature, which suggests that global posttraumatic hyperemia is primarily an acute, malignant phenomenon associated with increased intracranial pressure, profound unconsciousness, and poor outcome. The current results agree with more recent studies which show that posttraumatic hyperemia may occur across a wide spectrum of head injury severity and may be associated with favorable outcome.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1101-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Guzman ◽  
Alain Barth ◽  
Karl-Olof Lövblad ◽  
Marwan El-Koussy ◽  
Joachim Weis ◽  
...  

Object. Brain abscesses and other purulent brain processes represent potentially life-threatening conditions for which immediate correct diagnosis is necessary to administer treatment. Distinguishing between cystic brain tumors and abscesses is often difficult using conventional imaging methods. The authors' goal was to study the ability of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to differentiate between these two pathologies in patients within the clinical setting. Methods. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging studies and calculation of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were completed in a consecutive series of 16 patients harboring surgically verified purulent brain processes. This study group included 11 patients with brain abscess (one patient had an additional subdural hematoma and another also had ventriculitis), two with subdural empyema, two with septic embolic disease, and one patient with ventriculitis. Data from these patients were compared with similar data obtained in 16 patients matched for age and sex, who harbored surgically verified neoplastic cystic brain tumors. In patients with brain abscess, subdural empyema, septic emboli, and ventriculitis, these lesions appeared hyperintense on DW MR images, whereas in patients with tumor, the lesion was visualized as a hypointense area. The ADC values calculated in patients with brain infections (mean 0.68 × 103 mm2/sec) were significantly lower than those measured in patients with neoplastic lesions (mean 1.63 × 103 mm2/sec; p < 0.05). Conclusions. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging can be used to identify infectious brain lesions and can help to differentiate between brain abscess and cystic brain tumor, thus making it a strong additional imaging modality in the early diagnosis of central nervous system purulent brain processes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard B. Schwartz ◽  
B. Leonard Holman ◽  
Joseph F. Polak ◽  
Basem M. Garada ◽  
Marc S. Schwartz ◽  
...  

Object. The study was conducted to determine the association between dual-isotope single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scanning and histopathological findings of tumor recurrence and survival in patients treated with high-dose radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme. Methods. Studies in which SPECT with 201Tl and 99mTc-hexamethypropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) were used were performed 1 day before reoperation in 47 patients with glioblastoma multiforme who had previously been treated by surgery and high-dose radiotherapy. Maximum uptake of 201Tl in the lesion was expressed as a ratio to that in the contralateral scalp, and uptake of 99mTc-HMPAO was expressed as a ratio to that in the cerebellar cortex. Patients were stratified into groups based on the maximum radioisotope uptake values in their tumor beds. The significance of differences in patient gender, histological characteristics of tissue at reoperation, and SPECT uptake group with respect to 1-year survival was elucidated by using the chi-square statistic. Comparisons of patient ages and time to tumor recurrence as functions of 1-year survival were made using the t-test. Survival data at 1 year were presented according to the Kaplan—Meier method, and the significance of potential differences was evaluated using the log-rank method. The effects of different variables (tumor type, time to recurrence, and SPECT grouping) on long-term survival were evaluated using Cox proportional models that controlled for age and gender. All patients in Group I (201Tl ratio < 2 and 99mTc-HMPAO ratio < 0.5) showed radiation changes in their biopsy specimens: they had an 83.3% 1-year survival rate. Group II patients (201T1 ratio < 2 and 99mTc-HMPAO ratio of ≥ 0.5 or 201Tl ratio between 2 and 3.5 regardless of 99mTc-HMPAO ratio) had predominantly infiltrating tumor (66.6%); they had a 29.2% 1-year survival rate. Almost all of the patients in Group III (201Tl ratio > 3.5 and 99mTc-HMPAO ratio ≥ 0.5) had solid tumor (88.2%) and they had a 6.7% 1-year survival rate. Histological data were associated with 1-year survival (p < 0.01); however, SPECT grouping was more closely associated with 1-year survival (p < 0.001) and was the only variable significantly associated with long-term survival (p < 0.005). Conclusions. Dual-isotope SPECT data correlate with histopathological findings made at reoperation and with survival in patients with malignant gliomas after surgical and high-dose radiation therapy.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 484-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Serizawa ◽  
Junichi Ono ◽  
Toshihiko Iichi ◽  
Shinji Matsuda ◽  
Makoto Sato ◽  
...  

Object. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors from lung cancer, with particular reference to small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) compared with non-SCLC (NSCLC). Methods. Two hundred forty-five consecutive patients meeting the following five criteria were evaluated in this study: 1) no prior brain tumor treatment; 2) 25 or fewer lesions; 3) a maximum of three tumors with a diameter of 20 mm or larger; 4) no surgically inaccessible tumor 30 mm or greater in diameter; and 5) more than 3 months of life expectancy. According to the same treatment protocol, large tumors (≥ 30 mm) were surgically removed and the other small lesions (< 30 mm) were treated with GKS. New lesions were treated with repeated GKS. Chemotherapy was administered, according to the primary physician's protocol, as aggressively as possible. Progression-free, overall, neurological, qualitative, and new lesion—free survival were calculated with the Kaplan—Meier method and were compared in the SCLC and NSCLC groups by using the log-rank test. The poor prognostic factors for each type of survival were also analyzed with the Cox proportional hazard model. Conclusions. Tumor control rate at 1 year was 94.5% in the SCLC group and 98% in the NSCLC group. The median survival time was 9.1 months in the SCLC group and 8.6 months in the NSCLC group. The 1-year survival rates in the SCLC group were 86.5% for neurological survival and 68.9% for qualitative survival; those in the NSCLC group were 87.9% for neurological and 78.9% for qualitative survival. The estimated median interval to emergence of a new lesion was 6.9 months in the SCLC group and 9.8 months in the NSCLC group. There was no significant difference between the two groups for any type of survival; this finding was verified by multivariate analysis. The results of this study suggest that GKS appears to be as effective in treating brain metastases from SCLC as for those from NSCLC.


2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 180-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
György T. Szeifert ◽  
Isabelle Salmon ◽  
Sandrine Rorive ◽  
Nicolas Massager ◽  
Daniel Devriendt ◽  
...  

Object. The aim of this study was to analyze the cellular immune response and histopathological changes in secondary brain tumors after gamma knife surgery (GKS). Methods. Two hundred ten patients with cerebral metastases underwent GKS. Seven patients underwent subsequent craniotomy for tumor removal between 1 and 33 months after GKS. Four of these patients had one tumor, two patients had two tumors, and one patient had three. Histological and immunohistochemical investigations were performed. In addition to routine H & E and Mallory trichrome staining, immunohistochemical reactions were conducted to characterize the phenotypic nature of the cell population contributing to the tissue immune response to neoplastic deposits after radiosurgery. Light microscopy revealed an intensive lymphocytic infiltration in the parenchyma and stroma of tumor samples obtained in patients in whom surgery was performed over 6 months after GKS. Contrary to this, extensive areas of tissue necrosis with either an absent or scanty lymphoid population were observed in the poorly controlled neoplastic specimens obtained in cases in which surgery was undertaken in patients less than 6 months after GKS. Immunohistochemical characterization demonstrated the predominance of CD3-positive T cells in the lymphoid infiltration. Conclusions. Histopathological findings of the present study are consistent with a cellular immune response of natural killer cells against metastatic brain tumors, presumably stimulated by the ionizing energy of focused radiation.


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