Utility of diffusion tensor imaging in evaluation of the peritumoral region in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors

In the brain, diffusion tensor imaging is a useful tool for defining white matter anatomy, planning a surgical approach to space-occupying lesions, and characterizing tumors, including distinguishing primary tumors from metastases. Recent studies have attempted, with varying success, to use DTI to define the extent of tumor microinfiltration beyond the apparent borders on T2-weighted imaging. In the present review, we discuss the current state of research on the utility of DTI for evaluating the peritumoral region of brain tumors.