Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mapping of Brain Tumor Burden: Clinical Implications for Neurosurgical Management: Case Report. Neurosurg Open 2021 Dec;2(4):okab029
Date
10/19/2021Pubmed ID
34661110Pubmed Central ID
PMC8508085DOI
10.1093/neuopn/okab029Abstract
BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Distinction of brain tumor progression from treatment effect on postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an ongoing challenge in the management of brain tumor patients. A newly emerging MRI biomarker called fractional tumor burden (FTB) has demonstrated the ability to spatially distinguish high-grade brain tumor from treatment effect with important implications for surgical management and pathological diagnosis.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 58-yr-old male with glioblastoma was treated with standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) after initial resection. Throughout follow-up imaging, the distinction of tumor progression from treatment effect was of concern. The surgical report from a redo resection indicated recurrent glioblastoma, while the tissue sent for pathological diagnosis revealed no tumor. Presurgical FTB maps confirmed the spatial variation of tumor and treatment effect within the contrast-agent enhancing lesion. Unresected lesion, shown to be an active tumor on FTB, was the site of substantial tumor growth postresection.
CONCLUSION: This case report introduces the idea that a newly developed MRI biomarker, FTB, can provide information of tremendous benefit for surgical management, pathological diagnosis as well as subsequent treatment management decisions in high-grade glioma.
Author List
Connelly JM, Prah MA, Santos-Pinheiro F, Mueller W, Cochran E, Schmainda KMAuthors
Jennifer M. Connelly MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of WisconsinFernando Santos-Pinheiro MD Assistant Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Kathleen M. Schmainda PhD Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin