Metabolic Imaging as Future Technology and Innovation in Brain-Tumour Surgery: A Systematic Review

Background: Standard imaging in neurosurgery often fails to visualize infiltrative tumor regions that extend beyond contrast enhancement. Metabolic imaging using hyperpolarized 13C-MRI may offer new intraoperative insights into tumor biology. Objective: To systematically assess the clinical and technical evidence on hyperpolarized MRI for metabolic tumour characterization in patients with malignant brain tumors. Eligibility criteria: We included original human studies reporting on hyperpolarized 13C-MRI for perioperative and diagnostic use in brain tumor patients. Reviews, animal studies, and technical-only reports were excluded. Information sources: Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science on 26 December 2024. Risk of bias: Methodological quality was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. results: A qualitative synthesis was performed, and where feasible, random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) and heterogeneity statistics. Results: Three studies (n = 15 patients) met inclusion criteria. The bicarbonate-to-pyruvate ratio showed a significant difference between tumor and non-tumour brain (SMD = 1.34, p = 0.002), whereas pyruvate-to-lactate ratio (kPL) values showed minimal difference (SMD = 0.06, p = 0.730). Asmall effect was observed for kPL between tumor and normal-appearing white matter (SMD = –0.33). One study provided qualitative data only. Overall heterogeneity was high (I2 = 69.4%). Limitations: Limitations include small sample sizes, heterogeneous methodologies, and limited availability of patient-level data. Interpretation: Hyperpolarized 13C-MRI shows metabolic differentiation between tumor and healthy tissue in certain parameters, especially bicarbonate metabolism. While promising, the technology requires further clinical validation before routine intraoperative application.