Prognostic Implications of Gadolinium Enhancement of Skull Base Chordomas

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Skull base chordomas often demonstrate variable MR imaging characteristics, and there has been limited prior research investigating the potential clinical relevance of this variability. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the prognostic implications of signal intensity on standard imaging techniques for the biologic behavior of skull base chordomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 22 patients with pathologically confirmed skull base chordomas. Clinical data were recorded, including the degree of surgical resection, the presence or absence of radiation therapy, and time to progression/recurrence of the tumor or time without progression/recurrence of the tumor following initial treatment. Pretreatment imaging was reviewed for the presence or absence of enhancement and the T2 signal characteristics. Tumor-to-brain stem signal intensity ratios on T2, precontrast T1, and postcontrast T1 spin-echo sequences were also calculated. Statistical analysis was then performed to assess correlations between imaging characteristics and tumor progression/recurrence.

RESULTS: Progression/recurrence of skull base chordomas was seen following surgical resection in 11 of 14 (78.6%) patients with enhancing tumors and in zero of 8 patients with nonenhancing tumors. There was a statistically significant correlation between skull base chordoma enhancement and subsequent tumor progression/recurrence (P < .001), which remained significant after controlling for differences in treatment strategy (P < .001). There was also a correlation between postcontrast T1 signal intensity (as measured by postcontrast T1 tumor-to-brain stem signal intensity ratios) and recurrence/progression (P = .02). While T2 signal intensity was higher in patients without tumor progression (median tumor-to-brain stem signal intensity ratios on T2 = 2.27) than in those with progression (median tumor-to-brain stem signal intensity ratios on T2 = 1.78), this association was not significant (P = .12).

CONCLUSIONS: Enhancement of skull base chordomas is a risk factor for tumor progression/recurrence following surgical resection.