OBJECT:
Neurosurgeons have been utilizing intraoperative MR (iMR) imaging to evaluate the extent of tumor resection since the 1990s. A low-field strength (0.12 T) MR imaging unit (PoleStar N20, Medtronic) is a practical and relatively inexpensive iMR imaging system that has found increased use in neurosurgery.
The gold standard for post operative detection of residual tumor has been high-strength MR imaging performed within 48 hours of resection.The object of this study was to determine the predictive concordance of low-strength iMR imaging with standard high-strength MR imaging for detection of residual tumor.
METHODS:
The authors retrospectively evaluated the MR images from 74 intracranial tumor resections, comparing the intraoperative images obtained using a 0.12-T iMR imaging unit to the immediate postoperative images obtained using a standard 1.5-T MR imaging unit within 48 hours after surgery.
RESULTS:
The sensitivity of low-field MR imaging for detection of residual tumor was 0.74 (95% CI 0.58-0.86),and its specificity was 0.97 (95% CI 0.83-1). When only glial tumors (42 of the 74 lesions) were analyzed, the sensitivity was 0.82 (95% CI 0.59-0.94) and the specificity was 0.95 (95% CI 0.73-1).
CONCLUSIONS:
These data could assist the neurosurgeon who has to decide intraoperatively whether the observed iMR images show residual tumor or not.
2009-09-02

Eng.
Journal of Neurosurgery
Dardinger Neuro-oncology Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
J Neurosurg. 2009 Aug;111(2):252-7
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