Perfusion and diffusion in meningioma tumors: a preliminary multiparametric analysis with Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast and IntraVoxel Incoherent Motion MRI

Multiparametric MRI is a remarkable imaging method for the assessment of patho-physiological processes. In particular, brain tumor characterization has taken advantage of the development of advanced techniques such as diffusion- (DWI) and perfusion- (PWI) weighted imaging, but a thorough analysis of meningiomas is still lacking despite the variety of computational methods proposed. We compute perfusion and diffusion parametric maps relying on a well-defined methodological workflow, investigating possible correlations between pure and diffusion-based perfusion parameters in a cohort of 26 patients before proton therapy. A preliminary investigation of meningioma staging biomarkers based on IntraVoxel Incoherent Motion and Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast is also reported. We observed significant differences between the gross target volume and the normal appearing white matter for every investigated parameter, confirming the higher vascularization of the neoplastic tissue. DWI and PWI parameters appeared to be weakly correlated and we found that diffusion parameters - the perfusion fraction in particular - could be promising biomarkers for tumor staging.