Performance Comparison of Advanced DWI Parameters in Grading Pediatric Brain Tumors by Tumor Type and Location

Motivation: DWI shows promise for noninvasive pediatric brain tumor assessment, but advanced DWI parameters remain underexplored for tumor characterization, especially considering tumor type and location. Goal(s): The study investigates the utility of advanced DWI parameters for grading pediatric brain tumors with consideration of tumor type and location. Approach: DWI from seventy pediatric patients were obtained and analyzed using mono-exponential and three other advanced DWI models with subgroup analysis by tumor type and location. Results: Heterogeneity-related parameters are particularly sensitive to high-grade tumors in the posterior fossa, outperforming ADC. Combining parameters with different biological significance further improves sensitivity to identify high-grade tumors. Impact: Our findings suggest that advanced DWI models enhance diagnostic accuracy in the posterior fossa. Further studies should explore clinical applications of these models, leveraging their ability to assess key tissue properties such as cellularity, vascularity, and heterogeneity.