Preliminary study of DTI in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant meningiomas

Objective To study the differential diagnostic values of ADC value and FA value for benign and malignant meningiomas. Methods 20 cases of benign meningiomas and 20 cases of malignant meningiomas who were surgically and pathologically confirmed were retrospectively analyzed. The ADC and FA values of the solid part of tumors and the peritumoral edema were measured and statistically analyzed. Results The ADC value of the solid part of tumors was (0.937±0.069)×10-3mm²/s in benign meningioma group and (0.689±0.073)×10-3mm²/s in malignant meningioma group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The ADC value of the peritumoral edema was (1.367±0.064)×10-3mm²/s in benign meningioma group and (1.706±0.049)×10-3mm²/s in malignant meningioma group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The FA value of the peritumoral edema was (0.242±0.089) in benign meningioma group and (0.169±0.024) in malignant meningioma group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusion Combined with contrast-enhanced MRI, DTI can provide more evidence for clinical diagnosis of benign and malignant meningiomas, which is helpful for preoperative qualitative diagnosis of meningiomas. Key words: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); Malignant meningioma; Magnetic resonance imaging