ABSTRACT
Purpose:To investigate the value of susceptibility-weighted imaging(SWI)in evaluating the histopathologic grade of cerebral astrocytomas.Materials and Methods: 18 patients with histologically proven cerebral astrocytomas,including 7 diffuse astrocytomas,3 ana-plastic astrocytomas and 8 glioblastomas before treatment were involved in this study.The features on SWI were analyzed in 18 cerebral astrocytomas.Results: The veins in the tumors were not detected in 7 diffuse astrocytomas.Slight edema round tumors appeared in all the diffuse astrocytomas.Plenty veins in the tumors and severe edema round the tumors appeared in 3 anaplastic astrocytomas and 8 glioblastomas.The hemorrhagic foci were detected in 1 anaplastic astrocytomas and 6 glioblastomas.The edema round the tumors were moderate or severe in all the anaplastic astrocytomas or glioblastomas.Conclusions: Susceptibility-weighted imaging can provide the informations about blood supply,hemorrhagic focus and edema round the tumors.SWI is very useful for preoperative evaluation of the histopathologic grade of cerebral astrocytomas,especially for evaluation of high or low grade astrocytomas.