METABOLIC CHANGES IN CEREBRAL GLIOMAS WITHIN HOURS OF TREATMENT WITH INTRAARTERIAL BCNU DEMONSTRATED BY PHOSPHORUS MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

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  • 1 November 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 14  (4) , 570-575
Abstract
A 40-year-old female with a recurrent mixed astrocytoma/oligodendroglioma was treated with intraarterial BCNU at six week intervals. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed before, and on two occasions after her third treatment. Before treatment, phosphodiesters were 25% less than normal and intracellular pH was 7.14 (normal 6.97 .+-. 0.02). Eight hours following treatment phosphocreatine and phosphodiesters were reduced by .apprx. 40% and pHi increased to 7.24. Thirty-two hours after treatment, phosphocreatine and phosphodiesters had reversed their decline, but pHi had increased further to 7.35. MRI and x-ray CT scans did not show any change during this period. This study demonstrates that chemical changes can be observed in a glioma by magnetic resonance spectroscopy shortly after chemotherapy in a clinical setting and before changes are observable by imaging modalities. This approach evidently offers a possible means of monitoring the acute metabolic response of tumours to chemotherapy or other forms of treatment by a non-invasive repeatable quantitative method.