Differences in the architecture of low-grade and high-grade gliomas evaluated using fiber density index and fractional anisotropy.

Accurate pre-operative assessment of tumor grade is important for the selection of appropriate treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate whether the fiber density index (FDi) and fractional anisotropy (FA) via diffusion tensor MRI (DTI) could assist with pre-operative diagnosis of glioma grade. A total of 31 patients who had histologically confirmed gliomas underwent DTI performed using a 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance scanner. To reconstruct the white matter adjacent to the tumor, DTI fiber tracking (DTI-FT) using an FA threshold of 0.15 was implemented. Regions of interest (ROIs) were defined (i-iv) as: the tumor center (ROI i); white matter adjacent to the tumor (ROI ii); contralateral centrum semiovale (ROI iii); and the homologous fiber tracts to ROI ii in the contralateral hemisphere (ROI iv). We calculated six parameters from different ROIs and compared high-grade and low-grade gliomas: FA values and ratios; FDi values and ratios with an FA threshold of 0.15; and FDi values and ratios with an FA threshold of 0.25. The results showed that FA ratios and FDi ratios with FA thresholds of 0.25 were significantly different between patients with high-grade and low-grade gliomas. This may be useful for developing surgical strategies and appraising patient prognosis.