Llewellyn Jalbert1, Adam Elkhaled2, Joanna Phillips3, Rupa Parvataneni2, Soonmee Cha2, Susan Chang4, Sarah Nelson2
1Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; 2Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco; 3Pathology, University of California, San Francisco; 4Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco
Gliomas are heterogeneous, infiltrating tumors of the central nervous system that include astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and mixed oligoastrocytomas. The prognosis for these patients can vary significantly depending on the grade of malignancy and histological characteristics, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Previous studies have shown that ex vivo spectroscopy can discriminate between upgraded and non-upgraded lesions, but it there are significant limitations that remain in the assessment of malignant transformation using conventional MR imaging methods. This study has applied advanced in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques to characterize parameters that are associated with malignant transformation.