CT perfusion imaging for the assessment of tumor vascularity in renal carcinoma

Objective To observe the correlation among the CT perfusion parameters,tumor microvessel density(MVD)and tumor vessel maturation indices(VMI)in the renal carcinoma,and to explore the feability and posibility of CT perfusion in assessing tumor neovascularity in renal cell carcinoma.Methods Twenty-two patients with histologically diagnosed renal cell carcinoma underwent CT perfusion.Blood flow(BF),blood volume(BV),mean transport time(MTT)and permeability-surface area product(PS)were quantitatively calculated for all the lesions,and the transverse functional CT map imagine was obtained.A double-labeling immunohistochemical technique was used to stain CD34 and a-SMA,microvessel density(MVD)and tumor vessel maturation indices(VMI)were calculated.Results Positive correlation was found between BF and MVD(r=0.643),BV and MVD(r=0.542),but no CT perfusion parameters significantly correlated with VMI.Conclusion CT perfusion may be suitable to evaluate tumor vascularity in vivo on the basis of the correlation between perfusion parameters and MVD of renal cell carcinoma,but can not be used to access tumor vessel maturation level.