Improved Differentiation of Brain Tumors by Phase Contrast Calibration of Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast MRI: Combined Use with Extravasation Correction

David Bonekamp¹, Peter B. Barker¹

The purpose of this study is to implement a PC-MRA calibration for absolute quantification of CBF with DCE-MRI that is clinically feasible in routine examinations and to test the method and compare it with quantitative DCE-MRI CBF measurements with and without enhancement correction in patients with brain tumors. Twenty-six consecutive patients with gliomas (n=15), meningiomas (n=7, 6 WHO I, 1 WHO III), non-neoplastic lesions (n=2; hemorrhage and gliosis) or metastases (n=2) were included. Calibration of quantitative DSC-MRI CBF measurements significantly improves the differentiation between brain tumors compared to quantitative DSC-MRI with or without the use of extravasation correction alone.