Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42340326›Full record

ArticleCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2026

Conventional MRI-Based Semantic Features for Differentiation of Pediatric Medulloblastoma and Ependymoma in the Fourth Ventricle: Insights From a Multi-Center Retrospective Study.

Yu Han, Yu-Yao Wang, Yue-Wen Hao, Yi-Bin Xi, Yong-Hong Qi, Xiao-Li Du, Wen-Jun Cui, Si-Jie Xiu, Xue-Ying Zhou, Wen Wang and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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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

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yu HanDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yu-Yao WangDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yue-Wen HaoDepartment of Radiology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yi-Bin XiDepartment of Radiology, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yong-Hong QiDepartment of Radiology, Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Xiao-Li DuDepartment of Radiology, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wen-Jun CuiDepartment of Magnetic Resonance, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
Si-Jie XiuDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Xue-Ying ZhouDepartment of Radiology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.ORCID 0009-0007-1164-1072
Wen WangDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Wei-Chen LiDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Jin ZhangDepartment of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9253-8331

Funding

7T MRI Precision Neurology Platform of Shaanxi Province 2025PT-08Key Core Technique Program of Shaanxi Province 2024SF2-GJHX-71National Natural Science Foundation of China 82371936
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDifferentiating pediatric medulloblastoma (MB) from ependymoma (EA) in the fourth ventricle remains challenging due to overlapping clinical and imaging features. This study aimed to identify distinctive semantic features and develop a feature-based model for differentiating MB from EA using conventional MRI.

methodsThis multi-center retrospective MRI study enrolled 295 pediatric patients, including 184 MB and 111 EA cases, allocated to the training, internal validation set, and external testing set. Subsequently, 13 semantic features were extracted. After feature selection, quantitative parametric models and mixed parametric models were constructed and evaluated. Finally, three junior and three senior radiologists completed independent and model-assisted assessments.

resultsMB showed significantly greater left-right/upper-lower (0.98 vs. 0.76) and anterior-posterior/upper-lower (0.88 vs. 0.66) diameter ratios compared to EA (both p < 0.001). The pathognomonic "sea anemone sign" (100% specific for MB) occurred in 38.60% of MB cases. The support vector machine (SVM) model achieved optimal performance, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.946/0.921/0.915 and accuracies of 0.906/0.907/0.832 across training/internal validation/external testing sets. With SVM model assistance, diagnostic performance improved for both senior and junior radiologists across all datasets. In the external testing set, the AUCs increased to 0.849-0.893 for junior radiologists and 0.893-0.913 for senior radiologists, with the accuracies of 0.832-0.858 and 0.850-0.867, respectively.

conclusionThe sea anemone sign is highly specific for MB. The SVM model using conventional MRI semantic features achieved robust discrimination between MB and EA, significantly augmenting the diagnostic accuracy of radiologist assessment.

Indexed as

Cerebellar NeoplasmsEpendymomaFourth VentricleMagnetic Resonance ImagingMedulloblastomaAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSupport Vector Machineependymomamagnetic resonance imagingmedulloblastomasemantic feature

Identifiers

PMID42340326
PMCPMC13292730

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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.