The effects of radiotherapy on arterial diameters in patients with high-grade glial tumors who have undergone adjuvant radiotherapy

Background and Aims: Our purpose was to evaluate the M2 branch of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in high-grade glial tumor patients who undergo adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). For this purpose, the diameter of the M2 branch was measured and evaluated by means of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) before and after RT. Post-radiotherapeutical measurements were made 1, 3, 5, and 7 months after the procedure; and vascular diameter alterations were evaluated.Materials and Methods: CE-MRI examinations were performed on the 32 patients enrolled in the study, who had undergone radiotherapy of the temporoparietal region. MRI examinations were performed prior to RT (RT0) and 1 (RT1), 3 (RT2), 5 (RT3), and 7 (RT4) months after RT. The M2 branch of the MCA was evaluated on MRI images, and the vessel diameter was measured in millimeters (mm), and then comparisons were made.Results: Statistically significant results were obtained during RT0-RT1, RT0-RT2, RT0-RT3, RT0-RT4, RT1-RT2, RT2-RT4, and RT3-RT4, and comparisons of the diameters of the M2 branch of the right MCA were performed (P < 0.05). When the same measurements and comparisons were made for the M2 branch of the left MCA, statistically significant results were found for the RT1-RT2, RT1-RT3, and RT1-RT4 comparisons (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Our study showed that the MCA M2 branch diminished in size following RT. This was demonstrated by means of CE-MRI controls performed up to 7 months after the completion of the RT procedures.