Short Echo Time 1H-MRSI of Glioma Brain Tumors Referenced to Metabolite Levels of Normal Brain.

A.J. Idema¹, Jannie P. Wijnen², Arend Heerschap³

With 1H MR Spectroscopy brain tumor infiltration can be assessed beyond that with conventional MRI. Our aim was to explore the potential hereto of additional metabolites observable at short echo times. We analyzed 23 healthy volunteers and 20 patients with a glioma brain tumor with 3D MRSI. From the healthy volunteers the 1% and 99% percentiles were determined for the different metabolite ratios. Voxels with ratios outside the 1%-99% were included in tumor imaging. Deviating Cho/NAA was found in the whole tumor, while Gln/Glu was more pronounced in active parts of the tumor and mI/NAA in the infiltrative part.