Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Brain lesions using Histopathology as a Gold Standard

Background: Academic sources showed that MRS has a high accuracy rate for recognizing malignant brain lesions and is more reliable than any other modality. However, there is much less data for the accuracy of MRS. So, more studies are needed to validate the evidence. MRS is a minimally disruptive technique that shows the neurochemical profile of the brain. Objective: To find the diagnostic precision of MRS for differentiation of aggressive & benign cerebral focal lesions taking1histopathology as the ultimate criterion. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Imaging department, Madinah Teaching Health Institution, Faisalabad Pakistan. Duration: Six months from December 20, 2020 to June 21, 2021. Methods: A total of 155 Radiology Department patients fulfilling the selection criteria were enlisted. Then all patients underwent MRS using 3T. Findings were documented & patients were labeled as positive or negative. Then, the biopsy sample was sent to the hospital laboratory for histopathological evaluation after being under the supervision of the surgical team. Results: The mean age was 47.17±16.46 years. There were 69(44.5%) males & 86(55.5%) females in this study. The mean duration of symptoms was 11.44±2.79. The sensitivity and specificity of MRS were 90.79% and 86.08%, or PPV & NPV were 86.25% & 90.67%, respectively, and the 1overall diagnostic accuracy was 88.39%. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that the sensitivity (90.79%) and specificity (86.08%) of MRS are high enough to differentiate between malignant & benign brain lesions.