Differential study of DCE-MRI parameters in spinal metastatic tumors, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis

Objective: In the present study, spinal metastatic tumors, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis were quantitatively analyzed using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to assess the value of DCE-MRI in the differential diagnosis of these diseases. Methods: Patients with brucellar spondylitis, spinal tuberculosis or a spinal metastatic tumor (30 cases of each) received conventional MRI and DCE-MRI examination. The volume transfer constant (K-trans), rate constant (K-ep), extravascular extracellular volume fraction (V-e) and plasma volume fraction (V-p) of the diseased vertebral bodies were measured on the perfusion parameter map, and the differences in these parameters between the patients were compared. Result: For pathological vertebrae in cases of spinal metastatic tumor, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis, respectively, the K-trans values (median +/- quartile pitch) were 0.989 +/- 0.014, 0.720 +/- 0.011 and 0.317 +/- 0.005 min(-1); the K-ep values were 2.898 +/- 0.055, 1.327 +/- 0.017 and 0.748 +/- 0.006 min(-1); the V-e values were 0.339 +/- 0.008, 0.542 +/- 0.013 and 0.428 +/- 0.018; the V-p values were 0.048 +/- 0.008, 0.035 +/- 0.004 and 0.028 +/- 0.009; the corresponding H values were 50.25 (for K-trans), 52.47 (for K-ep), 48.33 (for V-e) and 46.56 (for V-p), and all differences were statistically significant (two-sided P<0.05). Conclusions: The quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI has a certain value in the differential diagnosis of spinal metastatic tumor, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis.