Histogram Analysis of 3D Amide Proton Transfer-weighted MRI for Distinguishing Brain Abscesses from Cystic High-grade Gliomas

Motivation: Improve non-invasive methods for distinguishing brain abscesses from cystic high-grade gliomas, addressing the need for accurate differential diagnosis in clinical practice. Goal(s): Evaluate the effectiveness of 3D Amide Proton Transfer-weighted imaging (APTw) MRI histogram analysis as a diagnostic tool for distinguishing these lesions. Approach: A retrospective study was conducted, analyzing APTw histogram data from two groups. Histogram parameters were extracted from two distinct ROIs and compared between two groups. Results: APTw histogram metrics across different ROIs provided diagnostic performance from moderate to excellent, suggesting APTw-based histogram analysis as a valuable, non-invasive approach for differentiating two diseases, with potential for integration into diagnostic protocols. Impact: This study is the first to utilize APTw imaging to differentiate between brain abscesses and cystic high-grade gliomas. The results highlight the potential of APTw as a valuable imaging biomarker, supporting its utility in improving diagnostic accuracy.