Malignant Gliomas in Neuroimaging Contexts
Summary
Malignant gliomas, particularly glioblastoma, represent the most aggressive primary brain tumours, characterised by rapid infiltration of adjacent parenchyma, neoangiogenesis and pronounced heterogeneity. Neuroimaging serves as the cornerstone of diagnosis, treatment planning and response assessment, guiding surgical resection margins and radiotherapy targets while minimising damage to eloquent cortex. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging delineates lesion extent through T1, T2 and FLAIR sequences, with contrast enhancement highlighting areas of blood–brain barrier disruption. Advanced methods—including diffusion tensor imaging for white matter tractography, perfusion-weighted imaging for vascular mapping and magnetic resonance spectroscopy for metabolic profiling—provide complementary biomarkers of cellular density, neoangiogenic activity and tumour metabolism. Emerging radiomic approaches and machine-learning algorithms promise to extract quantitative features from standard scans, potentially enabling noninvasive grading, prognostic stratification and early detection of recurrence. Integration with molecular diagnostics, such as IDH mutation status and MGMT promoter methylation, has further refined personalised management. Collectively, these developments underscore the global significance of imaging-driven strategies for improving outcomes in patients with malignant gliomas.
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Malignant Gliomas in Neuroimaging Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in malignant gliomas in neuroimaging contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Noninvasive modality using magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses to visualise brain anatomy and pathology.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS): Imaging technique that measures tissue metabolites to infer tumour cellularity and viability.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI): MRI-based method mapping directional water diffusion to characterise white matter tracts and tumour infiltration.
Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI): Technique assessing cerebral blood volume and flow to evaluate tumour vascularity and angiogenesis.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS): High-throughput approach for detecting genomic alterations and guiding precision oncology.
Dural tail sign: Linear contrast enhancement of dura adjacent to an intra-axial lesion, often indicating reactive hypervascularity rather than direct invasion.
References
- Management and Molecular Characterization of Intraventricular Glioblastoma: A Single-Institution Case Series. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Dural Tail Sign and Middle Meningeal Artery Hypertrophy in Glioblastoma: A Rarity?. World Neurosurgery (2023).
- Primary glioblastoma multiform (GBM) of the optic nerve and chiasma: A case report and systematic review of the literature. Clinical Case Reports (2024).
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