[Imaging methods used in the differential diagnosis between brain tumour relapse and radiation necrosis after stereotactic radiosurgery of brain metastases: Literature review]

Abstract

After stereotactic radiosurgery for a cerebral metastasis, one of the dreaded toxicities is radionecrosis. In the follow-up of these patients, it is impossible to distinguish radiation necrosis from tumour relapse either clinically or with MRI. In current practice, many imaging methods are designed such as special sequences of MRI (dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion and susceptibility-weighted imaging, diffusion), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, or more seldom 201-thallium single-photon emission computerized tomography. This article is a required literature analysis in order to establish a decision tree with the analysis of retrospective and prospective data.

Keywords: IRM; Imagerie; MRI; PET scan; Radionecrosis; Radionécrose; Spectro-RMN; TEP-scanographie.