Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus - Scorecard - MDSpire

Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus

  • By

  • Roberto Altieri

  • Lorenzo Ugga

  • Andrea Bianconi

  • Stefano Caneva

  • Ferdinando Caranci

  • Giovanni Cirillo

  • Fabio Cofano

  • Sergio Corvino

  • Oreste de Divitiis

  • Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa

  • Donatella Franco

  • Ciro De Luca

  • Pietro Fiaschi

  • Gianluca Galieri

  • Diego Garbossa

  • Giuseppe La Rocca

  • Salvatore Marino

  • Edoardo Mazzucchi

  • Grazia Menna

  • Antonio Mezzogiorno

  • Alberto Morello

  • Alessandro Olivi

  • Michele Papa

  • Daniela Pacella

  • Rosellina Russo

  • Giovanni Sabatino

  • Giovanna Sepe

  • Assunta Virtuoso

  • Giovanni Vitale

  • Giuseppe Vitale

  • Gianluigi Zona

  • Manlio Barbarisi

  • July 7, 2026

  • 0 min

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Clinical Scorecard: Reevaluating the Interaction Between White Matter and Tumors: An Analysis of Fractional Anisotropy and Morphometric Associations in the IFOF and Arcuate Fasciculus Using Tractography

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionWhite Matter Anatomy and Tumor Interaction
Key MechanismsFractional anisotropy (FA) as an index of white matter integrity and its influence on morphometric characteristics of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF).
Target PopulationPatients aged ≥ 18 years with glioblastoma, low-grade glioma, brain metastases, or meningioma.
Care SettingRetrospective multicenter study across six Italian Neurosurgical Units.

Key Highlights

  • Study investigates the relationship between white matter tracts and tumor histotypes.
  • FA is used to assess white matter integrity in relation to tumor proximity.
  • Tractography techniques employed include deterministic tractography with standardized post-processing.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • Histological and/or molecular diagnosis confirming GBM, LGG, brain metastasis, or WHO grade I meningioma.

Management

  • Involvement of a multidisciplinary team for preoperative tractography assessments.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Preoperative neuroimaging including contrast-enhanced MRI and DTI sequences.

Risks

  • Reduced FA may lead to premature streamline termination affecting tract volume reconstruction.

Patient & Prescribing Data

1,294 patients who underwent surgery for intracranial tumors.

Study based on anonymized clinical and imaging data from routine diagnostic and surgical procedures.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Utilize standardized post-processing workflows for tractography analyses.
  • Ensure comprehensive preoperative imaging to assess tumor proximity to white matter tracts.

Related Resources & Content

Original Source(s)

Rethinking white matter–tumor interaction: a tractography based analysis of associations between fractional anisotropy and morphometry in the IFOF and arcuate fasciculus

  • by Roberto Altieri, Lorenzo Ugga, Andrea Bianconi, Stefano Caneva, Ferdinando Caranci, Giovanni Cirillo, Fabio Cofano, Sergio Corvino, Oreste de Divitiis, Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa, Donatella Franco, Ciro De Luca, Pietro Fiaschi, Gianluca Galieri, Diego Garbossa, Giuseppe La Rocca, Salvatore Marino, Edoardo Mazzucchi, Grazia Menna, Antonio Mezzogiorno, Alberto Morello, Alessandro Olivi, Michele Papa, Daniela Pacella, Rosellina Russo, Giovanni Sabatino, Giovanna Sepe, Assunta Virtuoso, Giovanni Vitale, Giuseppe Vitale, Gianluigi Zona, Manlio Barbarisi

  • July 7, 2026

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