Proton spectroscopy provides accurate pathology on biopsy and in vivo
Date
2006
Authors
Mountford, C.
Lean, C.
Malycha, P.
Russell, P.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2006; 24(3):459-477
Statement of Responsibility
Mountford, Carolyn ; Lean, Cynthia ; Malycha, Peter ; Russell, Peter
Conference Name
Abstract
In the last 25 years, MR spectroscopy (MRS) has moved from being a basic research tool into routine clinical use. The spectroscopy method reports on those chemicals that are mobile on the MR time scale. Many of these chemicals reflect specific pathological processes but are complicated by the fact that many chemicals change at one time. There are currently two clinical applications for spectroscopy. The first is in the pathology laboratory, where it can be an adjunct to, and in some cases replacement, for difficult pathologies like Barrett's esophagus and follicular adenoma of the thyroid. The spectroscopy method on a breast biopsy can also report on prognostic indicators, including the potential for spread, from information present in the primary tumor alone. The second application for spectroscopy is in vivo to provide a preoperative diagnosis and this is now achievable for several organs including the prostate. The development of spectroscopy for clinical purposes has relied heavily on the serially-sectioned histopathology to confirm the high accuracy of the method. The combination of in vivo MRI, in vivo MRS, and ex vivo MRS on biopsy samples offers a modality of very high accuracy for preoperative diagnosis and provision of prognostic information for human cancers.