Aim: The aim of the present study is to analyze the effects of the MRI features on the recurrence time and prognosis, and to emphasize the analyses of mortality risks in malignant astrocytomas.
Material and methods: The effects of preoperative MRI features on prognosis were studied for follow-up period of 45 months, from November 1999 to August 2003, on a total of 79 patients' 41 cases of total resection and 38 cases of subtotal resection diagnosed to have malignant astrocytoma subsequent to craniotomy.
Results: The cases of gross total resection had 2.2 times as high survival rate as those in the subtotal resection group (p < 0.01). The comparison of the cases in the groups in relation to their ages revealed that mortality rate rose 4.35 times (p < 0.01) in the age group of 60 years and above, and 2.1 times in the age group of 45-59 years. When cases without necrosis were compared with the group containing necrosis of grade 1, 2, 3, it was observed that the probability of mortality increased 3.84 (p < 0.01), 4.15 times (p < 0.01) in the case of necrosis of grade 2 and 3, respectively by means of Cox regression model.
Conclusion: Necrosis in preoperative MRI of malignant astrocytomas seems to be an important clinical marker of the prognosis.