Effects of contrast material on the metabolite ratios in single-voxel MR Spectroscopy of intraaxial brain tumors.

AIM: The purpose of our study was to determine whether the administration of contrast material affects the results of MR Spectroscopy (MRS) in different intraaxial brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients (median range 46.72 ± 2.95, range 9-77) with intraaxial brain tumors underwent MRS before and 5 min after intravenous administration of gadolinium based contrast material at the standard dose of 0.1 mmol/kg (Gadodiamide or Gd-DOTA). Metabolite ratios (N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Creatine (Cr), Choline (Cho)/Cr, and NAA/Cho) were calculated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the pre and postcontrast MRS spectra as regards to NAA/Cr (p:0.4), Cho/Cr (p:0.2), and NAA/Cho (p:0.2) ratios obtained from the intraaxial brain tumors. CONCLUSION: Contrast material administration did not change the metabolite ratios of MRS. Contrast administration would be useful in guiding voxel localization in MRS evaluation of intraaxial brain tumors.