Effects of slice thickness and head rotation when measuring glioma sizes on MRI: in support of volume segmentation versus two largest diameters methods

This paper presents a study of the effects of scanning parameters variability when assessing glioma sizes on MRI. A database of lesions of various shapes and sizes, segmented on 3D-SPGR MRI images, was acquired on 65 patients with low-grade glioma. Simulations of large slice thickness and patient’s head rotation were performed, allowing us to study their influence on two size indices: the bi-dimensional diameter product index (computed with the two largest diameters method) and the equivalent diameter index (computed with the volume segmentation method). Results show that thick slices and axial plane rotation can induce average (maximal) uncertainties on the bi-dimensional diameter product index between 32 and 6 % (150 %) for small and large tumors (size range 0.5–286 ml). The uncertainty on the equivalent diameter index, for the same categories of tumors, drops below 8 and 0.1 % (23 %). This study shows that the volume segmentation method is subject to less variability inherent to scanning conditions compared to the two largest diameters method. It also emphasizes the need for strict clinical guidelines on the replication of scanning conditions when performing MRI follow-ups on patients harboring small tumors. These implications await confirmation on a series of real patients being re-scanned with FLAIR MRI.