MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) utilizes a powerful magnetic field to produce extremely detailed images of virtually any region of the body. It is especially useful for imaging the brain and spine. In addition to usual MRI scanning, a variety of advanced techniques can be used to provide additional information about a tumor or other lesion.

One very helpful technique is MR Perfusion. This method provides information about the relative blood flow to a region of tissue. This can be instrumental, for instance, in differentiating recurrent tumor that would require an operation from radiation changes that would not. There is also evidence that the relative level of perfusion of a tumor may offer prognostic information regarding the degree of aggressiveness of the lesion.

Other techniques such as functional MRI and MR spectroscopy can provide useful information about the location of functional regions in the brain or the cellular composition of a lesion. An MRI technique that is currently being investigated at NYU and other centers is diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI can be used to trace functional pathways in the brain, providing more information for preoperative planning and potentially reducing the risks involved with brain tumor operations.