Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of canine brain tumors

We evaluated dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in canine brain tumors. Magnetic resonance data sets were collected on seven canine intracranial tumors with a 3 T magnet using a T1-weighted fast spin echo fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence after an IV bolus injection (0.2 mmol/kg) of Gd-DTPA. The tumors were confirmed histopathologically as adenocarcinoma (n=1), ependymoma (n=1), meningioma (n=3), oligodendroglioma (n=1), and pituitary macroadenoma (n=1) The data were analyzed using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model for estimation of three enhancement parameters, E_R (rate of enhancement), K_el (rate of elimination), and K_ep (rate constant), and a model-free phenomenologic parameter initial area under the Gd concentration curve (IAUGC) defined over the first 90 s postenhancement. Pearson's correlations were calculated between parameters of the two methods. The IAUGC has a relatively strong association with the rate of enhancement E_R, with r ranges from 0.4 to 0.9, but it was weakly associated with K_ep and K_el. To determine whether any two tumors differed significantly, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. The results showed that there were statistical differences (P<0.05) between distributions of the enhancement pattern of each tumor. These kinetic parameters may characterize the perfusion and vascular permeability of the tumors and the IAUGC may reflect blood flow, vascular permeability, and the fraction of interstitial space. The kinetic parameters and the IAUGC derived from DCE-MRI present complementary information and they may be appropriate to noninvasively differentiate canine brain tumors although a larger prospective study is necessary.