• Shuang Li, Wenjiao Xiao, Zanyong Tong, Lusheng Li, and Yuting Zhang.
• Department of Radiology Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics; Chongqing, China.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 Oct 7.

BackgroundSuprasellar hypothalamic-opticochiasmatic glioma (HOCG) and craniopharyngioma (CP) have similar appearances on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and are difficult to distinguish. Moreover, these tumors are situated near vital structures like the optic chiasm and hypothalamus, rendering conventional surgery susceptible to significant complications. We mainly discussed the surgical application value and diagnostic value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in HOCG and CP.MethodsThe retrospective analysis of 13 cases of HOCG and 16 cases of CP was conducted. All patients underwent conventional MRI and DTI prior to surgery, and were pathologically diagnosed postoperatively.ResultsBoth CP and HOCG appeared as heterogeneous mixed signal masses on conventional MRI. For HOCGs, fiber tractography revealed 2 different growth patterns of the tumor: infiltrative type and inflated type. The surgical approach and risk levels differ between these growth patterns. Additionally, fiber tractography demonstrates significant differences compared to CPs. The surgical approach and extent of resection for all cases of these 2 tumors were guided by DTI.ConclusionsDTI enhances the accuracy of HOCG and CP differentiation. Furthermore, patterns of tractography described in this study assist neurosurgeons in delineating the surgical pathway and tumor resection range without damaging important fiber bundles, thereby avoiding permanent neurological deficits and improving survival quality for patients.Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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