Preoperative prediction of 5-ALA fluorescence in gliomas: comparison of 7-Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, contrast-enhancement on MRI, and positron emission tomography

Question Does 7-T MRSI enable preoperative prediction of 5-ALA fluorescence to support patient selection for fluorescence-guided glioma surgery? Findings Several 7-T MRSI metabolic ratios (mI/tNAA, Gln/tCr, Glx/tCr, Gly/tCr and GSH/tCr) robustly predicted 5-ALA fluorescence across glioma subtypes, with diagnostic performance comparable to contrast-enhanced MRI and PET. Clinical relevance Ultra-high-field 7-T MRSI enables noninvasive preoperative prediction of intraoperative 5-ALA fluorescence in gliomas with performance comparable to PET and contrast-enhanced MRI, supporting surgical planning without the need for contrast agents or radiation exposure.