DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AS A PREDICTOR OF THE PROLIFERATIVE POTENTIAL OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMORS

Abstract

The charts of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of patients with histologically confirmed tumors of the brain and spinal canal were analyzed according to the data of magnetic resonance imaging studies performed before surgical treatment. Analysis of the data revealed that the indexes on the ADC-charts largely correlate with the activity of tumor cell proliferation. The signal on the ADC-charts in malignant tumors of grade 3 and 4 is significantly lower than in tumors with low malignancy of 1 and 2 grade. Analysis of ADC-charts in patients with pathological lesions in the central nervous system can be used not only for differential diagnosis, but also embodied in the supposed pathomorphological characteristics of the lesion, thereby influencing the planning of the volume of surgical intervention and treatment options.