Role of diffusion tensor imaging in differentiating subtypes of meningiomas

Summary Purpose Meningiomas are the most common extraaxial intracranial type of tumor, and their management and prognosis depend on their grade and histology. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are two new imaging techniques that have proved helpful in elucidating the microarchitecture of brain tumors. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of diffusion and diffusion tensor metrics in the identification and classification of meningioma grades and subtypes. Methods and materials A total of 21 consecutive patients with meningioma were included in this retrospective study, of whom 16 had benign meningiomas (three fibroblastic, 11 transitional/mixed, two meningothelial) and five had atypical meningiomas. Tumor mean diffusivity (Dav), fractional anisotropy (FA), linear anisotropy (CL), planar anisotropy (CP), spherical anisotropy (CS) and eigenvalues (e1, e2, e3) were measured in all cases, and differences in diffusion tensor metrics between atypical, fibroblastic and other benign (transitional, meningothelial) meningiomas were statistically analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test. Results No statistically significant differences were found among the mean Dav values for atypical, fibroblastic and other benign meningiomas. Both atypical and fibroblastic meningiomas showed significantly higher mean FA values and lower mean CS values compared with other meningiomas ( P P Conclusion These results suggest that diffusion tensor metrics may be helpful in the differentiation of atypical, fibroblastic and other benign meningiomas.