Identifying in vivo DCE MRI markers associated with microvessel architecture and gleason grades of prostate cancer

Abstract

Purpose To identify computer extracted in vivo dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers associated with quantitative histomorphometric (QH) characteristics of microvessels and Gleason scores (GS) in prostate cancer. Materials and Methods This study considered retrospective data from 23 biopsy confirmed prostate cancer patients who underwent 3 Tesla multiparametric MRI prior to radical prostatectomy (RP). Representative slices from RP specimens were stained with vascular marker CD31. Tumor extent was mapped from RP sections onto DCE MRI using nonlinear registration methods. 77 microvessel QH features and 18 DCE MRI kinetic features were extracted and evaluated for their ability to distinguish low from intermediate and high GS. The effect of temporal sampling on kinetic features was assessed and correlations between those robust to temporal resolution and microvessel features discriminative of GS were examined. Results A total of 12 microvessel architectural features were discriminative of low and intermediate/high grade tumors with AUC > 0.7. These features were most highly correlated with mean washout gradient (WG) (max rho = −0.62). Independent analysis revealed WG to be moderately robust to temporal resolution (ICC=0.63) and WG variance, which was poorly correlated with microvessel features, to be predictive of low grade tumors (AUC=0.77). Enhancement ratio was the most robust (ICC = 0.96) and discriminative (AUC = 0.78) kinetic feature but was moderately correlated with microvessel features (max rho = −0.52). Conclusion Computer extracted features of prostate DCE MRI appear to be correlated with microvessel architecture and may be discriminative of low vs. intermediate and high GS.

DCE‐MRI of the prostate using shutter‐speed vs. Tofts model for tumor characterization and assessment of aggressiveness

“…While DCE‐MRI is generally always included in all prostate mpMRI exams, its added value compared to T 2 WI and DWI is considered modest, as recently stated in the updated version of the Prostate Imaging and Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADSv2) . Nevertheless, DCE‐MRI of PCa is being extensively studied and technological advancements have been made with respect to more accurate definition of the arterial input function (AIF) and accelerated acquisitions …”

“…7 Nevertheless, DCE-MRI of PCa is being extensively studied and technological advancements have been made with respect to more accurate definition of the arterial input function (AIF) and accelerated acquisitions. [8][9][10][11][12] DCE-MRI data, obtained from a series of dynamic T 1weighted imaging (T 1 WI) acquisitions before, during, and after injection of a contrast agent, are most frequently modeled using the pharmacokinetic model of Tofts and Kermode (TM: Tofts model). 13 This model provides estimates of the transfer rate constant of the contrast agent from intravascular to extravascular extracellular space (EES) K trans , EES volume fraction v e , and rate constant for intravasation of the contrast agent from EES to intravascular space k ep .…”

Registration of presurgical MRI and histopathology images from radical prostatectomy via RAPSODI

“…Pseudo-whole mounts were generated for the images in Cohort C2 by the dataset authors and were achieved by stitching adjacent quadrants as described in Ref. 21. These pseudo-whole mounts were made available by the authors of the dataset and were used without any further processing for the registration with MRI by RAPSODI.…”

Framework for the co-registration of MRI and histology images in prostate cancer patients with radical prostatectomy

“…The whole-mount slices in C1 and quadrants sections in C2 were stained using Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) and were digitized at 20x magnification (pixel size 0.5 µm). Pseudo-whole mounts were generated for the images in C2, by stitching adjacent quadrants as described in [33].…”