Advanced

AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on April 15, 2009
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1580

This Article Free to Access Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: ajnr.A1580v1 30/8/1469    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Sundgren, P.C. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sundgren, P.C.

American Journal of Neuroradiology 30:1469-1476, September 2009
© 2009 American Society of Neuroradiology

REVIEW ARTICLES

MR Spectroscopy in Radiation Injury

P.C. Sundgren^a

^aFrom the Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, Mich. Dr. Sundgren is also affiliated with the Diagnostic Centre for Imaging and Functional Medicine, University Hospital Malmoe, University of Lund, Malmoe, Sweden.

Please address correspondence to Pia C. Sundgren, MD, PhD, Professor in Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health Systems, 1500 E Medical Center Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; e-mail: sundgren{at}med.umich.edu

SUMMARY: Detecting a new area of contrast enhancement in or in the vicinity of a previously treated brain tumor always causes concern for both the patient and the physician. The question that immediately arises is whether this new lesion is recurrent tumor or a treatment effect. The differentiation of recurrent tumor or progressive tumor from radiation injury after radiation therapy is often a radiologic dilemma regardless the technique used, CT or MR imaging. The purpose of this article was to review the utility of one of the newer MR imaging techniques, MR spectroscopy, to distinguish recurrent tumor from radiation necrosis or radiation injury.