Abstract:

Objective: To discuss the clinical value of instituting operative schedule for protecting neurological functions in patients
with gliomas by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging （DTI）. Methods: Thirty-three patients with gliomas were recruited to undergo MR -DTI test and neurosurgical assessment before and after surgery. According to the results of MR -DTI test, the relationships of gliomas and adjacent white matter tracts can be classified as the following three types: typeⅠ-displacement; type Ⅱ-infiltration; type Ⅲ-disruption. The differences of preoperative neurological functions, as well as the change of postoperative neurological functions and the change of both preoperative and postoperative neurological functions, were compared in the three groups. Results: There were 12 cases in typeⅠ, 12 cases in type Ⅱ, and 9 cases in type Ⅲ. 1. There were significant differences between gliomas' FA values and relative normal brain tissue's in each type （P<0.05）. 2. There were significant difference between MR -DTI types and preoperative neurological functions, as well as between MR -DTI types and the change of postoperative neurological functions （P<0.05）. 3. There were significant differences in the states of neurological functions before and after surgery.
Conclusions: MR-DTI can be used to display the relationships of gliomas and adjacent white matter tracts, which is useful for neurosurgeons to institute suitable operative schedule for protecting patients' neurological function.

Key words: gliomas, magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, neurological function, operative risk