Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34966172›Full record

Trial reportSpinal cord2022

Diffusion tensor imaging in unclear intramedullary tumor-suspected lesions allows separating tumors from inflammation.

Marc Hohenhaus, Yorn Merz, Jan-Helge Klingler, Christoph Scholz, Ulrich Hubbe, Jürgen Beck, Katharina Wolf, Karl Egger, Marco Reisert, Nico Kremers

Open access · hybridAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Spinal cord, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. The efficacy of preoperative diffusion tensor tractography on surgical planning and outcomes in patients with intramedullary spinal tumor.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Marc HohenhausDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. marc.hohenhaus@uniklinik-freiburg.de.ORCID 0000-0002-8743-3161
Yorn MerzDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Jan-Helge KlinglerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Christoph ScholzDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Ulrich HubbeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Jürgen BeckDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Katharina WolfDepartment of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Karl EggerDepartment of Neuroradiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Marco ReisertDepartment of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Nico KremersDepartment of Neuroradiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
University of Freiburg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

designProspective diagnostic study.

objectivesPrimary imaging-based diagnosis of spinal cord tumor-suspected lesions is often challenging. The identification of the definite entity is crucial for dedicated treatment and therefore reduction of morbidity. The aim of this trial was to investigate specific quantitative signal patterns to differentiate unclear intramedullary tumor-suspected lesions based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

settingMedical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany.

methodsForty patients with an unclear tumor-suspected lesion of the spinal cord prospectively underwent DTI. Primary diagnosis was determined by histological or clinical work-up or remained indeterminate with follow-up. DTI metrics (FA/ADC) were evaluated at the central lesion area, lesion margin, edema, and normal spinal cord and compared between different diagnostic groups (ependymomas, other spinal cord tumors, inflammations).

resultsMean DTI metrics for all spinal cord tumors (n = 18) showed significantly reduced FA and increased ADC values compared to inflammatory lesions (n = 8) at the lesion margin (p < 0.001, p = 0.001) and reduced FA at the central lesion area (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences comparing the neoplastic subgroups of ependymomas (n = 10) and other spinal cord tumors (n = 8), but remaining differences for both compared to the inflammation subgroup. We found significant higher ADC (p = 0.040) and a trend to decreased FA (p = 0.081) for ependymomas compared to inflammations at the edema.

conclusionEven if distinct differentiation of ependymomas from other spinal cord neoplasms was not possible based on quantitative DTI metrics, FA and ADC were feasible to separate inflammatory lesions. This may avoid unnecessary surgery in patients with unclear intramedullary tumor-suspected lesions.

Indexed as

EpendymomaSpinal Cord DiseasesSpinal Cord InjuriesSpinal Cord NeoplasmsDiffusion Tensor ImagingHumansInflammationProspective StudiesSpinal Cord

Identifiers

PMID34966172
PMCPMC9287173
OpenAlexW4200280248

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.