TABLE 1.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Modalities for Assessing Vascular Permeability.a
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Echo dynamic MR imaging | Non-invasive; readily available; good visualization of the posterior fossa | High background and low accuracy due to contrast -dosing effects; various methods to process data making cross-institution use difficult; time consuming |
| Perfusion computed tomography | Non-invasive; rapid; readily available | Poor detail of anatomy of tumor; poor visualization of the posterior fossa; High background and low accuracy due to contrast -dosing effects |
| Positron emission tomography | Non-invasive; high accuracy (especially when combined with other methods such as MR and CT) | Poor resolution for the brain; expensive; time consuming; few well established protocols for large scale clinical use |
| Thermodilution | Invasive; expensive; difficult to apply to the brain; inaccurate |
a
CT, computed tomographic; MR, magnetic resonance.