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Accurate, noninvasive diagnosis of human brain tumors by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Nature Medicine volume 2, pages 323–325 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

Although conventional proton magnetic resonance imaging has increased our ability to detect brain tumors, it has not enhanced to nearly the same degree our ability to diagnose tumor type1. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a safe, noninvasive means of performing biochemical analyses in vivo2. Using this technique, we characterized and classified tissue from normal brains, as well as tissue from the five most common types of adult supratentorial brain tumors. These six tissue types differed in their pattern across the six metabolites measured. ‘Leaving–one–out’ linear discriminant analyses based on these resonance profiles correctly classified 104 of 105 spectra, and, whereas conventional preoperative clinical diagnosis misclassified 20 of 91 tumors, the linear discriminant analysis approach missed only 1. Thus, we have found that a pattern–recognition analysis of the biochemical information obtained from proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy can enable accurate, noninvasive diagnosis of the most prevalent types of supratentorial brain tumors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4

    Mark C. Preul, Zografos Caramanos, D. Louis Collins & Douglas L. Arnold

  2. Neuropsychology/Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4

    Zografos Caramanos

  3. Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4

    Mark C. Preul, Zografos Caramanos, Jean-Guy Villemure, Richard Leblanc, Andre Olivier, Ronald Pokrupa & Douglas L. Arnold

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  1. Mark C. Preul
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  2. Zografos Caramanos
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  4. Jean-Guy Villemure
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  6. Andre Olivier
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  7. Ronald Pokrupa
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  8. Douglas L. Arnold
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Preul, M., Caramanos, Z., Collins, D. et al. Accurate, noninvasive diagnosis of human brain tumors by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Nat Med 2, 323–325 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0396-323

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