Value of Perfusion and Permeability Measurements in Distinguishing Between Benign and Malignant Vertebral Lesions

Introduction: Almost all studies on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in the spine [1,2] are based on descriptive perfusion indices like maximum signal enhancement. These suffer from well-known limitations like dependence on experimental variables and an ill-defined relation to hemodynamic parameters. Quantitative analysis with the Tofts model resolves the first issue, but not the second [3]. When the data are measured at a sufficiently high temporal resolution, a more general two-compartment model can be used providing an unambiguous interpretation [4]. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of this approach to distinguish between pathological and osteoporotic fractures based on perfusion metrixs.