Biologically aggressive regions within glioblastoma identified by spin-lock contrast T1 relaxation in the rotating frame (T1ρ) MRI

• Main Authors: Ramon Francisco Barajas, Jr., MD, Javier Villanueva-Meyer, MD, Arie Perry, MD, Mitchel Berger, MD, Soonmee Cha, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-12-01
• Series: Radiology Case Reports
• Subjects: Glioblastoma; Glioma; T1ρ MRI; T1rho MRI; Spin-lock contrast; Image-guided
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043317302303

Spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame magnetic resonance imaging allows for the quantitative assessment of spin-lock contrast within tissues. We describe the utility of spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame metrics in characterizing glioblastoma biological heterogeneity. A 84-year-old man presented to our institution with a right frontal temporal mass. Prior tissue sampling from a peripheral nonenhancing lesion was nondiagnostic. Stereotactic image-guided tissue sampling of the nonenhancing T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintense region involving the anterior cingulate gyrus with elevated spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame metrics provided a pathologic diagnosis of glioblastoma. This case illustrates the utility of spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame magnetic resonance imaging in identifying biologically aggressive regions within glioblastoma.