Diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion tensor tractography

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to present the advanced imaging tools using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) for yielding structural and functional information about white matter (WM) pathways in the brain. A brief review of the basic principles underlying DTI and examples of clinical applications of DTI and DTT in neurosurgery forpatients with brain tumors is presented. Knowledge of DTT patterns, when a cerebral neoplasms involves the WM tracts, becomes critically important when neurosurgeons use DTI in evaluation of the topography of WM and tumor for planning tumor resection.

Keywords

• diffusion
• diffusion tensor mri
• tractography
• brain pathways
• tumors of the central nervous system