Deep-learned time-signal intensity pattern analysis using an autoencoder captures magnetic resonance perfusion heterogeneity for brain tumor differentiation

Current image processing methods for dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) do not capture complex dynamic information of time-signal intensity curves. We investigated whether an autoencoder-based pattern analysis of DSC MRI captured representative temporal features that improves tissue characterization and tumor diagnosis in a multicenter setting. The autoencoder was applied to the time-signal intensity curves to obtain representative temporal patterns, which were subsequently learned by a convolutional neural network. This network was trained with 216 preoperative DSC MRI acquisitions and validated using external data (n = 43) collected with different DSC acquisition protocols. The autoencoder applied to time-signal intensity curves and clustering obtained nine representative clusters of temporal patterns, which accurately identified tumor and non-tumoral tissues. The dominant clusters of temporal patterns distinguished primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) from glioblastoma (AUC 0.89) and metastasis from glioblastoma (AUC 0.95). The autoencoder captured DSC time-signal intensity patterns that improved identification of tumoral tissues and differentiation of tumor type and was generalizable across centers.