Superselective pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling in patients with meningioma: utility in prediction of feeding arteries and preoperative embolization feasibility

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Superselective pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (ss-pCASL) is an MRI technique in which individual vessels are labeled to trace their perfusion territories. In this study, the authors assessed its merit in defining feeding vessels and gauging preoperative embolization feasibility for patients with meningioma, using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference method. METHODS Thirty-one consecutive patients with meningiomas were prospectively recruited, each undergoing DSA (and embolization, if feasible) before resection. All ss-pCASL imaging studies were performed 1 day prior to DSA. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed ss-pCASL images, rating the contribution of each labeled vessel to tumor blood supply as none, minor, or major. Two neuroradiologists also gauged the feasibility of embolization in each patient, based on ss-pCASL images. Interobserver and intermodality agreement were determined using Cohen’s kappa statistic. The diagnostic performance of ss-pCASL was assessed in terms of discerning tumor blood supply and the potential for embolization. RESULTS Interobserver agreement in the rating of blood supply by ss-pCASL was very good (κ = 0.817, 95% CI 0.771–0.863), and intermodality agreement (consensus ss-pCASL readings vs DSA findings) was good (κ = 0.688, 95% CI 0.632–0.744). In delineating tumor blood supply, ss-pCASL showed high sensitivity (87.1%) and specificity (87.2%). The positive and negative predictive values for embolization feasibility were 85.2% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In patients with meningiomas, feeding vessels are reliably predicted by ss-pCASL. This noninvasive approach, involving no iodinated contrast or radiation exposure, is particularly beneficial if there are no prospects of embolization.