HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kovanlikaya, A. Articles by Blüml, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kovanlikaya, A. Articles by Blüml, S.

Untreated Pediatric Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor in Vivo: Quantitation of Taurine with MR Spectroscopy¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology (A.K., A.P., N.G., M.D.N., S.B.), Division of Neurosurgery (M.D.K., J.G.M.), and Department of Neuropathology (I.G., F.H.G.), Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS 81, Los Angeles, CA 90027; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif (M.D.K., J.G.M.); and Rudi Schulte Research Institute, Santa Barbara, Calif (S.B.). Received May 11, 2004; revision requested July 27; revision received October 18; accepted November 26. Supported by grant 4R33CA096032-02 from the National Cancer Institute and by the Rudi Schulte Research Institute, Santa Barbara, Calif. Address correspondence to S.B. (e-mail: sbluml{at}chla.usc.edu).

PURPOSE: To retrospectively investigate whether quantitation of taurine (Tau) concentrations with proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in vivo improves the differentiation of primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) from other common brain tumors in pediatric patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved this review of clinical data; it was not necessary to obtain parental consent. This study was HIPAA compliant. Single-voxel proton spectroscopy was added to the preoperative MR imaging work-up of 29 patients (12 boys and 17 girls; mean age, 6.5 years ± 3.5) with untreated brain tumors; 13 had PNETs, and 16 had other tumors. Absolute concentrations (measured in millimoles per kilogram of brain tissue) of metabolites of the proton spectrum were determined. Student t tests were used for statistical comparisons.

RESULTS: Elevated absolute Tau concentration proved to be the most significant metabolite in the differentiation of PNETs from other tumors (6.09 mmol/kg ± 2.24 vs 0.76 mmol/kg ± 0.95, P < .001). PNETs also exhibited a higher ratio of Tau relative to choline (1.21 ± 0.48 vs 0.28 ± 0.39, P < .001), a higher ratio of Tau relative to creatine (1.28 ± 0.44 vs 0.38 ± 0.67, P < .001), a reduced a ratio of N-acetyl-aspartate relative to choline (0.20 ± 0.20 vs 0.79 ± 0.56, P < .001), and an increased choline concentration (5.30 mmol/kg ± 1.64 vs 3.08 mmol/kg ± 2.53, P < .05). Tau concentrations ranged from 2.62 to 11.15 mmol/kg in individual patients with a PNET.

CONCLUSION: Single-voxel quantitative ¹H MR spectroscopy performed in patients with untreated pediatric brain tumors showed that the Tau concentration was significantly elevated in PNETs and was useful in the differentiation of PNETs from other tumors.

© RSNA, 2005

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Panigrahy, M. D. Nelson Jr, J. L. Finlay, R. Sposto, M. D. Krieger, F. H. Gilles, and S. Bluml Metabolism of diffuse intrinsic brainstem gliomas in children Neuro-oncol, February 1, 2008; 10(1): 32 - 44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]