儿童脑肿瘤的预后并不理想，因为即使是低级别肿瘤，治疗技术也可能导致发育中的大脑受损。因此，先进的神经影像方法对于制定最佳管理计划和改善患者护理至关重要。磁共振弹性成像 (MRE) 可以通过机械特性来表征成人神经胶质瘤，这些机械特性对细胞结构、脉管系统和间质的复杂相互作用特别敏感。然而，儿科肿瘤的行为和细胞结构不同，其机械性能从未被评估过。在这里，我们通过使用 MRE 测量低级别胶质瘤 (LGG) 的组织刚度和阻尼比，进行了儿科脑肿瘤机械性能的首次研究。我们还测量了 1 型神经纤维瘤病 (NF1) 儿童的非肿瘤性局灶性异常信号强度 (FASI) 的机械特性。23 名 4-17 岁的 MR 成像结果与原发性 LGG 或 NF1 一致的患者被纳入研究中。这项研究。我们发现，与参考组织相比，儿童神经胶质瘤平均软 10.9% (p = 0.010)，粘度低 17.3% (p = 0.009)。肿瘤的柔软度在不同肿瘤亚型中似乎一致，并且与肿瘤大小或对比度增强无关。在 NF1 中，我们发现，与神经胶质瘤不同，FASI 的硬度比参考组织平均高 10.4%，但阻尼比低 16.7%。测量肿瘤机械特性模式和异质性有可能有助于预测生物学特性。儿科患者的行为并为其提供管理策略。© 2024。作者。

Prognoses for pediatric brain tumors are suboptimal, as even in low-grade tumors, management techniques can lead to damage in the developing brain. Therefore, advanced neuroimaging methods are critical for developing optimal management plans and improving patient care. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has allowed for the characterization of adult gliomas by their mechanical properties, which are uniquely sensitive to the complex interplay of cellularity, vasculature, and interstitium. However, pediatric tumors differ in behavior and cytoarchitecture, and their mechanical properties have never been assessed.Here, we conduct the first study of pediatric brain tumor mechanical properties by using MRE to measure tissue stiffness and damping ratio in low grade gliomas (LGGs). We additionally measure the mechanical properties of non-neoplastic focal abnormal signal intensities (FASIs) in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).23 patients age 4-17 years who had MR imaging results consistent with a primary LGG or with NF1 were included in this study. We found that pediatric gliomas are on an average 10.9% softer (p = 0.010) with a 17.3% lower (p = 0.009) viscosity than reference tissue. Softness of tumors appeared consistent across tumor subtypes and unrelated to tumor size or contrast-enhancement. In NF1 we found that, unlike gliomas, FASIs are stiffer, though not significantly, than reference tissue by an average of 10.4% and have a 16.7% lower damping ratio.Measuring tumor mechanical properties patterning and heterogeneity has potential to aid in prediction of biological behavior and inform management strategies for pediatric patients.© 2024. The Author(s).