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Aims We investigated the usefulness of diffusion tensor tractography ( DTT) for differentiating between histological pathologies and evaluating white matter ( WM) damage resulting from brain tumors. We also sought to categorize the appearance of brain tumor-related WM tract changes. Methods A total of 18 inpatients with intracranial neoplasms were enrolled. MRI examinations were performed at 3 T using an 8-channel phased array coil. DTT was reconstruction from the raw data of diffusion tensor imaging. WM tract-based analysis of the mean diffusivity ( MD), eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, λ3), and fractional anisotropy ( FA) was performed by the manual placement of regions of interest ( ROIs) on the color-coded FA maps using DTIStudio software. The axial diffusivity ( DA, namely λ1) and the tensor shape (Cl, namely (λ1 − λ2)/3 (λ)) were also compared between groups. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results In cases of low-grade glioma ( LGG), the tracts adjacent to the tumors displayed the highest levels of invasion. Tract disruption was mainly observed in cases of high-grade glioma ( HGG). We found significant differences regarding the FA, MD, DA, and radial diffusivity between ROIs in patients with LGG or HGG. There were also significant differences in DA and tensor shape ( Cl) between patients with LGG and HGG. Conclusion Axial diffusivity and Cl may be useful early markers for differentiating between LGG and HGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]