Apparent diffusion coefficient in vasogenic edema and reactive astrogliosis

Introduction Distinguishing between vasogenic edema and reactive astrogliosis may be difficult in some instances. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps can be used to differentiate these two types of changes. Methods The study population included 11 patients with perilesional vasogenic edema and 11 patients with gliosis examined with conventional MR imaging and DW imaging. The signal intensities of conventional pulse sequences and ADC values were calculated in regions of interest placed in the hyperintense edematous or gliotic regions and compared with those of normal-appearing white matter. Signal intensity ratios and ADC values in gliosis were compared with those in vasogenic edema using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results While considerable overlap was present for signal intensity ratios on conventional MR images, areas of gliosis demonstrated significantly higher ADC values (1.76 ± 0.09 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) than areas of vasogenic edema (1.35 ± 0.06 × 10⁻³ mm²/s; P < 0.0001) without overlap. Conclusion ADC values are helpful in differentiating reactive gliosis from vasogenic edema.     

Diagnostic accuracy of the apparent diffusion coefficient in differentiating benign from malignant uterine endometrial cavity lesions: initial results

Our purpose is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement in differentiating malignant from benign uterine endometrial cavity lesions. We retrospectively evaluated 25 uterine endometrial cavity lesions in 25 female patients: endometrial carcinoma (n = 11), carcinosarcoma (n = 2), submucosal leiomyoma (n = 8), and endometrial polyp (n = 4). Diffusion-weighted images were performed at 1.5 T with b factors of 0–1,000/mm². The region of interest was defined within the tumor on T2-weighted EPI image and then manually copied to an ADC map. Thereby, the ADC value was obtained. We compared ADC values between malignant and benign lesions using Student’s t-test. The mean and standard deviation of ADC values (×10⁻³ mm²/s) were as follows: endometrial carcinoma, 0.98±0.21; carcinosarcoma, 0.97±0.02; submucosal leiomyoma, 1.37±0.28; and endometrial polyp, 1.58±0.45. The ADC values differed significantly between malignant (0.98±0.19) and benign lesions (1.44±0.34) (P < 0.01). We defined malignant tumors as cases with an ADC value less than 1.15 × 10⁻³ mm²/s for obtaining the highest accuracy. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 84.6%, 100%, and 92%, respectively. ADC measurement can provide useful information in differentiating malignant from benign uterine endometrial cavity lesions.     

Respiratory gated diffusion-weighted imaging of the liver: value of apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in the differentiation between most commonly encountered benign and malignant focal liver lesions

The purpose of this study was to measure apparent diffusion coefficient values of normal liver parenchyma and focal liver lesions utilizing a respiratory gated diffusion sequence with multiple b-values and to investigate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements may be utilized to characterize and differentiate between malignant and benign focal hepatic lesions. Thirty-eight consecutive patients underwent MRI of the liver including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). A single-shot echo planar imaging sequence was applied in coronal orientation with multiple b-values (0, 50, 500, 1,000 s/mm²) and respiratory gating. ADC values were recorded on corresponding maps utilizing region of interest measurements in patients with benign (group A), malignant (group B) focal lesions and liver parenchyma (group C). Statistical analysis was applied to check whether differences in mean ADC values were significant (p<0.05). No focal lesions were detected in 11 patients, with a mean ADC value (CI 95%) of liver parenchyma 1.25×10⁻³ mm²/s (1.21×10⁻³ mm²/s−1.29×10⁻³ mm²/s). Differences in mean ADC of liver parenchyma between group A and B were not significant (p=0.054, 1.30×10⁻³ mm²/s and 1.31×10⁻³ mm²/s, respectively). Mean ADC value (95% CI) of 22 benign lesions found in 18 patients was 2.55×10⁻³ mm²/s (2.35×10⁻³ mm²/s−2.74×10⁻³ mm²/s), while the mean ADC value (95% CI) of 16 malignant lesions recorded in 9 patients was 1.04×10⁻³ mm²/s (0.9×10⁻³ mm²/s−1.17×10⁻³ mm²/s). The difference between mean ADC values of benign and malignant focal lesions was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Respiratory gated diffusion-weighted imaging in the liver is technically feasible. Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements can be useful in differentiating malignant from benign focal liver lesions.     

Dynamics of cerebral edema and the apparent diffusion coefficient of water changes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. A prospective MRI study

The distinction between intracellular (ICE) and extracellular edema (ECE) has a crucial prognostic and therapeutic importance in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). Indeed, ICE usually leads to cellular death, and maintenance of a cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) above 70 mmHg is still under debate since this practice may increase ECE. The purpose of this study was to describe the ECE and ICE kinetics associated with STBI using quantitative diffusion MRI. Twelve patients were prospectively studied. The initial ADC in ICE measured on day 1.3±0.7 is significantly reduced compared to normal-appearing parenchyma (0.51±0.12 * 10⁻³ mm²/s vs. 0.76±0.03 * 10⁻³ mm²/s, n=12, P<0.0001) and reaches normality on MRI 3 performed on day 14.2±3.3. In patients presenting an extension of ICE on MRI 2 performed on day 6.7±1.4 (ADC_MRI2=0.40±0.11 * 10⁻³ mm²/s), ADC values in the extension area at the first MRI were slightly, but not significantly reduced compared to normal parenchyma (0.69±0.05 * 10^-3 mm²/s, P=0.29). Normalization occurred equally by day 14. ADC in ECE (1.34±0.22 * 10⁻³ mm²/s) was elevated and stable with time under CPP therapy. Therefore, ECE is not worsened by CCP therapy, and ICE appears more relevant than ECE in STBI.     

Diffusion-weighted MRI in cervical cancer

The purpose was to investigate the potential value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement with MRI in the assessment of cervix cancer. Diffusion-weighted MRI was performed in 47 patients with cervical carcinoma undergoing chemoradiation therapy and 26 normal controls on a 1.5-T system with a b-value of 600 s/mm². FIGO stage, tumor volume, nodal status, interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and oxygen measurements were recorded. Response was defined as no visible tumor 3–6 months following completion of therapy. The average median ADC (mADC) of cervical carcinomas (1.09±0.20×10⁻³ mm²/s) was significantly lower than normal cervix (2.09±0.46×10⁻³ mm²/s) (P<0.001). There was no correlation between mADC, nodal status, tumor volume, IFP or oxygen measurements. mADC was significantly lower in FIGO stages T1b/T2a (0.986 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) compared to T2b (1.21×10⁻³ mm²/s) and T3/T4 (1.10×10⁻³ mm²/s) (P<0.001). In patients with squamous carcinomas the 90th percentile of ADC values was lower in responders than non-responders (P<0.05). Median ADC in cervix carcinoma is significantly lower compared to normal cervix. ADC may have predictive value in squamous tumors, but further long-term study will determine the ultimate clinical utility.     

Diagnostic ability of apparent diffusion coefficients for lymphomas and carcinomas in the pharynx

We evaluated the diagnostic ability of diffusion-weighted imaging for the differentiation between lymphomas and carcinomas in the pharynx and between carcinomas with different histological types in the pharynx. T1-weighted, fat-suppressed T2-weighted, and diffusion-weighted MR imaging was performed on 14 patients with pharyngeal lymphomas, 26 patients with carcinomas of the pharynx, 5 patients with adenoidal hypertrophy, and 22 patients with normal tonsils. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were determined by using two b factors (500 and 1,000 s/mm²). The ADCs of lymphomas were significantly smaller (0.454 ± 0.075 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) than those of carcinomas (0.863 ± 0.238 × 10⁻³ mm²/s). The ADCs of poorly differentiated and undifferentiated carcinomas (0.691 ± 0.149 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) were significantly smaller than those of moderately differentiated and well-differentiated carcinomas (0.971 ± 0.221 × 10⁻³ mm²/s), but were significantly larger than those of lymphomas. When an ADC smaller than 0.560 × 10⁻³ mm²/s was used for predicting lymphomas, we obtained the highest accuracy of 96%, with 100% sensitivity and 94% specificity, 86% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value. Therefore, ADC measurements effectively differentiate lymphomas from carcinomas in the pharynx and could be a useful adjunct to biopsy-based development of treatment planning.     

Role of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in cervical lymphadenopathy

The role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiation between various causes of cervical lymphadenopathy was evaluated. In a prospective study, 31 untreated patients (22 males and nine females, aged 5–70 years) with 87 cervical lymph nodes underwent diffusion-weighted MRI before performance of neck dissection (n=14), surgical biopsy (n=9) or core biopsy (n=8). Diffusion-weighted MR images were acquired with a b factor of 0 and 1,000 s/mm² using single-shot echo-planar sequence. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were reconstructed for all patients. The signal intensity of the lymph nodes was assessed on images obtained at b=0 or 1,000 s/mm² and from the ADC maps. The ADC value of lymph nodes was also calculated. On the ADC map, malignant nodes showed either low (n=52) or mixed (n=20) signal intensity and benign nodes revealed high (n=13) or low (n=2) signal intensity. The mean ADC value of metastatic (1.09±0.11×10⁻³ mm²/s) and lymphomatous (0.97±0.27×10⁻³ mm²/s) lymph nodes was significantly lower than that of benign (1.64±0.16×10⁻³ mm²/s) cervical lymph nodes (P<0.04). When an ADC value of 1.38×10⁻³ mm²/s was used as a threshold value for differentiating malignant from benign lymph nodes, the best results were obtained with an accuracy of 96%, sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value of 98.5% and negative predictive value of 83.7%. The smallest detected lymph node was 0.9 cm. In conclusion, diffusion-weighted MRI with ADC mapping is a new promising technique that can differentiate malignant from benign lymph nodes and delineate the solid viable part of the lymph node for biopsy. This technique provides additional useful physiological and functional information regarding characterization of cervical lymph nodes.     

Diffusion-weighted MRI in cystic or necrotic intracranial lesions

Our purpose was to investigate the signal intensities of cystic or necrotic intracranial lesions on diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and measure their apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). We examined 39 cystic or necrotic intracranial lesions in 33 consecutive patients: five malignant gliomas, seven metastases, two other necrotic tumours, a haemangioblastoma, three epidermoids, an arachnoid cyst, seven pyogenic abscesses, 12 cases of cysticercosis and one of radiation necrosis. DWI was performed on a 1.5 T unit using a single-shot echo-planar spin-echo pulse sequence with b 1000 s/mm². The signal intensity of the cystic or necrotic portion on DWI was classified by visual assessment as markedly low (as low as cerebrospinal fluid), slightly lower than, isointense with, and slightly or markedly higher than normal brain parenchyma. ADC were calculated in 31 lesions using a linear estimation method with measurements from b of 0 and 1000 s/mm². The cystic or necrotic portions of all neoplasms (other than two metastases) gave slightly or markedly low signal, with ADC of more than 2.60 × 10⁻³ mm²/s. Two metastases in two patients showed marked high signal, with ADC of 0.50 × 10⁻³ mm²/s and 1.23 × 10⁻³ mm²/s, respectively. Epidermoids showed slight or marked high signal, with ADC of less than 1.03 × 10⁻³ mm²/s. The arachnoid cyst gave markedly low signal, with ADC of 3.00 × 10⁻³ mm²/s. All abscesses showed marked high signal, with ADC below 0.95 × 10⁻³ mm²/s. The cases of cysticercosis showed variable signal intensity; markedly low in five, slightly low in three and markedly high in four. Received: 17 November 1999/Accepted: 3 February 2000     

Role of diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MR imaging for brain tumour characterisation

Purpose  This study was undertaken to correlate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and relative regional cerebral blood volume (rrCBV) to histological findings in a large series of patients with primary or secondary brain tumours to evaluate diffusion-weighted (DWI) and perfusionweighted (PWI) imaging in the characterisation of cerebral tumors. Materials and methods  Ninety-eight patients with cerebral tumours, 46 of which were primary (seven grade 0-I, nine low-grade gliomas, two gliomatosis cerebri, nine lymphomas and 19 high-grade gliomas) and 52 secondary, underwent conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging completed with DWI and dynamic contrast susceptibility PWI. Both ADC and rrCBV were calculated on a workstation by using Functool 2 software. Student’s t test was used to determine any statistically significant differences in the ADC and rrCBV values. Results  Seventeen of 98 tumours were cystic or necrotic (12/17 hypointense and 5/17 hyperintense on DWI); the ADC value of hyperintense cystic areas was 0.97±0.23×10⁻³ mm²/s. The ADC value of solid tumours varied between 0.64 and 3.5×10⁻³ mm²/s. The rrCBV value was 1.4 (σ 0.66) in low-grade gliomas; 1.22 (σ 0.25) in lymphomas; 4.5 (σ 0.85) in grade III gliomas; 3.18 (σ 1.26) in grade IV gliomas and 2.53 (σ 1.6) in metastases. Conclusions  DWI has an important role in the differential diagnosis of cystic cerebral masses but not in tumour characterisation. PWI is helpful in differentiating high-from low-grade gliomas and lymphomas from high-grade gliomas.      

van der Knaap syndrome: MR imaging findings including FLAIR, diffusion imaging, and proton MR spectroscopy

A patient is reported with diffuse leukoencephalopathy associated with cystic degeneration of the white matter of the brain (van der Knaap syndrome). The changes were studied by fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and diffusion-weighted MR imaging. The FLAIR sequence revealed suppressed signal of the cysts, and widespread high-signal white matter changes associated with thinned cortices. On diffusion-weighted MR imaging, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values ranged from 3.0 × 10^–3 to 2.7 × 10^–3 mm²/s in the temporal cysts, similar to that of CSF. The ADC values within the parenchyma ranged between 2 × 10^–3 and 2.1 × 10^–3 mm²/s, a value falling between normal parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid, compared with a control group of three healthy subjects. The changes were also evaluated by proton MR spectroscopy, and were compared with a control group of 12 cases. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed apparently increased NAA/Cr ratios in most parts of the brain. The NAA/Cho ratios were either high or low, and the Cho/Cr ratios were increased or normal in different regions. Received: 27 October 1999; Revised: 9 December 1999; Accepted: 20 December 1999     

High b-value diffusion-weighted MRI for detecting gallbladder carcinoma: preliminary study and results

The aim of this preliminary study was to retrospectively evaluate the usefulness of high b-value diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) in the detection of gallbladder carcinoma. Fifteen patients with gallbladder carcinoma and 14 other patients were included in this study. All patients and subjects underwent DWI, and images were evaluated by two radiologists. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. An AUC yielded 0.980 (95% CI, 0.850–0.999) and 0.941 (95% CI, 0.791–0.990) for the two radiologists. The mean sensitivity and specificity were 83.3% and 100%, respectively. The mean ADC value of gallbladder carcinoma was (1.28 ± 0.41)×10⁻³ mm²/s and that of control gallbladder lesions was (1.92 ± 0.21)×10⁻³ mm²/s (P < 0.01). According to the results of our preliminary study, high b-value DWI might be a useful tool for detecting gallbladder carcinoma by measuring the ADC value and direct visual assessment.     

Diffusion MRI of acute pancreatitis and comparison with normal individuals using ADC values

The aim of this study was to retrospectively measure and compare pancreatic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) with aged matched controls who underwent diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). The institutional review board approved this retrospective Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant study with a waiver for informed consent. Pancreatic ADC values from 27 patients with a clinical diagnosis of AP and 38 normal age-matched controls evaluated with DWI (b = 0 and 800 mm²/s) were retrospectively and independently measured by two radiologists. The ADCs were compared between the groups and between each of the pancreatic segments in the normal group. Inter-observer reliability was calculated and receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of DW imaging in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The ICC for inter-observer reliability was 0.98 in the control and 0.97 in the AP group. The mean pancreatic ADC in the AP group (1.32 × 10⁻³ mm²/s ± 0.13) was significantly lower than in the normal group (1.77 × 10⁻³ mm²/s ± 0.32). There was no significant difference in mean ADCs between each of the pancreatic segments in the controls. A threshold ADC value of 1.62 × 10–3 mm²/s yielded a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 87% for detecting acute pancreatitis for b values of 0 and 800 s/mm². Pancreatic ADCs are significantly lower in patients with AP than normal controls.     

Diffusion tensor MR imaging of the cervical spinal cord in patients with multiple sclerosis

Our purpose was to evaluate the ability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to characterize cervical spinal cord white matter (WM) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). DTI were obtained in 21 MS patients and 21 control subjects (CS). Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed at C2/3, C3/4, and C4/5 within the right, left, and dorsal (WM) to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Measurements in plaques and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients were compared with mean FA and ADC of WM in CS. FA was significantly lower in all regions in MS patients than in CS. ADC was significantly higher in all regions in MS patients than in CS except for in the dorsal WM at C2/3 and the bilateral WM at C4/5. The mean FA was 0.441 for plaques and 0.542 for NAWM, as compared with 0.739 in CS. The mean ADC was 0.810 × 10⁻³ mm²/s for plaques and 0.722 × 10⁻³ mm²/s for NAWM, as compared with 0.640 ×10⁻³ mm²/s for CS. FA and ADC showed significant differences between plaques, NAWM and control WM(P < 0.01).     

Characterization of pediatric head and neck masses with diffusion-weighted MR imaging

We aimed to assess the clinical usefulness of the ADCs calculated from diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR images in the characterization of pediatric head and neck masses. This study included 78 pediatric patients (46 boys and 32 girls aged 3 months–15 years, mean 6 years) with head and neck mass. Routine MR imaging and diffusion-weighted MR imaging were done on a 1.5-T MR unit using a single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) with a b factor of 0.500 and 1,000 s mm⁻². The ADC value was calculated. The mean ADC values of the malignant tumours, benign solid masses and cystic lesions were (0.93 ± 0.18) × 10⁻³, (1.57 ± 0.26) × 10^–3 and (2.01 ± 0.21 )× 10^–3 mm² s⁻¹, respectively. The difference in ADC value between the malignant tumours and benign lesions was statistically significant (p < 0.001). When an apparent diffusion coefficient value of 1.25 × 10^–3 mm² s⁻¹ was used as a threshold value for differentiating malignant from benign head and neck mass, the best results were obtained with an accuracy of 92.8%, sensitivity of 94.4%, specificity of 91.2%, positive predictive value of 91% and negative predictive value of 94.2%. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is a new promising imaging approach that can be used for characterization of pediatric head and neck mass.     

Diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in esophageal cancer

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in detecting esophageal cancer and assessing lymph-node status, compared with histopathological results. DWI was prospectively performed in 24 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer, using the diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) sequence. DWIBS images were fused with T2-weighted images, and independently and blindly evaluated by three board-certified radiologists, regarding primary tumor detectability and lymph-node status. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the primary tumor and lymph nodes were also measured. Average primary tumor detection rate was 49.4%, average patient-based sensitivity and specificity for the detection of lymph-node metastasis were 77.8 and 55.6%, and average lymph-node group-based sensitivity and specificity were 39.4 and 92.6%. There were no interobserver differences among the three readers (P < 0.0001). Mean ADC of detected primary tumors was 1.26 ± 0.29×10⁻³ mm²/s. Mean ADC of metastatic lymph nodes (1.46 ± 0.35×10⁻³ mm²/s) was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than that of nonmetastatic lymph nodes (1.15 ± 0.24 mm²/s), but ADCs of both groups overlapped. In conclusion, this study suggests that DWI only has a limited role in detecting esophageal cancer and nodal staging.     

Role of diffusion-weighted echo-planar MRI in distinguishing between brain abscess and tumour: a preliminary report

Our purpose was to evaluate diffusion-weighted (DW) echo-planar MRI in differentiating between brain abscess and tumour. We examined two patients with surgically confirmed pyogenic brain abscess and 18 with metastatic brain tumours or high-grade glioma, using a 1.5 T system. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of each necrotic or solid contrast-enhancing lesion was measured with two different b values (20 and 1200 s/mm²). All capsule-stage brain abscesses (4 lesions) and zones of cerebritis (2 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as markedly high-signal areas of decreased ADC (range, 0.58–0.70 [(10–3 mm²/s; mean, 0.63)]). All cystic or necrotic portions of brain tumours (14 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as low-signal areas of increased ADC (range, 2.20–3.20 [(10–3 mm²/s; mean, 2.70)]). Solid, contrast-enhancing portions of brain tumours (19 lesions) were identified on high-b-value DWI as high-signal areas of sightly decreased or increased ADC (range, 0.77–1.29 [(10–3 mm²/s; mean, 0.94)]). Our preliminary results indicate that DW echo-planar MRI be used for distinguishing between brain abscess and tumour. Received: 23 January 1998 Accepted: 5 June 1998     

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) in the evaluation of epidural spinal lesions

Introduction Epidural spinal cord compression is one of the most critical emergency conditions requiring medical attention and requires prompt and adequate treatment. The aim of our study was to assess the role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (DWI) in the diagnosis and differentiation of epidural spinal lesions. Methods Three patients with epidural lymphoma, two with sarcoma and three with epidural metastatic disease were imaged on a 1.5T MRI unit. DWI was performed using navigated, interleaved, multi-shot echo planar imaging (IEPI). Three region of interest (ROI)-measurements were obtained on corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and the mean ADC value was used for further analysis. The cellularity of tumors was determined as the N/C ratio (nucleus/cytoplasma ratio) from histological samples. The ADC values and N/C ratios of lesions were compared using a Kruskal-Wallis test. Results The mean ADC of the lymphomas was 0.66 × 10⁻³ mm²/s, that of the sarcomas was 0.85 × 10⁻³ mm²/s and the ADC of the metastatic lesions was 1.05 × 10⁻³ mm²/s; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Mean N/C ratios in the lymphoma, sarcomas and metastases were 4:1, 2:1, and 2.6:1, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.025). Conclusion Although not statistically significant due to the small patient sample, our results clearly show a tendency toward decreased diffusivity in neoplastic lesions with higher cellularity. The data from our study suggest that DWI is a feasible and potentially useful technique for the evaluation of epidural lesions that cause spinal cord compression on a per-patient basis.     

Apparent diffusion coefficient mapping of experimental focal cerebral ischemia using diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging

Diffusion-weighted, echo-planar imaging (EPI) was used to map regional changes In the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during experimental focal ischemia in the rat brain following permanent middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO). Sixteen 64 × 64 diffusion-weighted EPIs were acquired in 32 s with successively increasing amplitudes of the diffusion-sensitive gradient pulses. A linear least-squares regression algorithm was used to fit 15 of the 16 two-dimensional matrices, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to solve for the slope from which the ADC value was calculated. The correlation coefficient of the fit, R² was used to filter the final ADC maps, and the ADCs were then scaled appropriately to be displayed in a 256 gray level format. Ranges (bins) of 0.05 × 10⁻³ mm²/s were then grouped and color coded to qualify and quantify the evolution of ischemia in the MCA territory. The percentage of area in the ischemic and contralateral hemispheres in seven ADC bins were calculated at 30, 60, and 120 min after MCAO for 10 animals and demonstrated a significant increase in ADC bins below 0.45 × 10⁻³ mm²/s and a decrease in bins above 0.50 × 10⁻³ mm²/s over the. The postmortem infarct area, as measured by TTC staining, was highly correlated with the portion of the ischemic hemisphere falling below ADC values of 0.55 × 10⁻³ mm²/s at 2 h after stroke onset. These studies suggest that focally ischemic brain tissue can be quantitatively subdivided according to ADC values and that ADC values below 0.55 × 10⁻³ mm²/s 2 h following ischemia highly predict infarction in a rat permanent occlusion stroke model.     

Combined use of T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted 3-T MR imaging for differentiating uterine sarcomas from benign leiomyomas

The objective of our study was to compare diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) alone and DWI combined with T2-weighted MRI for the differentiation of uterine sarcomas from benign leiomyomas. T2-weighted imaging and DWI were performed in 103 patients with 103 myometrial tumours, including 8 uterine sarcomas and 95 benign leiomyomas on 3-T MR imaging. The signal intensity (SI) of the tumour on T2-weighted images was quantified as the tumour–myometrium contrast ratio (TCR) by using the following formula: (SI_tumour − SI_myometrium)/SI_myometrium. The TCR or apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value alone and then the ADC value combined with T2-weighted imaging were evaluated for differentiation between sarcomas and leiomyomas. The mean ADC value of sarcomas was 0.86 ± 0.11 × 10⁻³ m²/s, which was significantly lower than that of leiomyomas 1.18 ± 0.24 × 10⁻³ m²/s; however, there was a substantial overlap. The mean TCR of sarcomas was 0.66 ± 0.71, which was significantly higher than that of the leiomyomas, –0.37 ± 0.34; however, again, there was a considerable overlap. When ADC was less than 1.05 × 10⁻³ mm²/s and TCR was greater than 0 this condition was considered to confirm a sarcoma; a combination of ADC and TCR achieved a significant improvement without any overlap between sarcomas and leiomyomas (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%). Our preliminary results indicate that combined DWI and T2-weighted MR imaging is better than DWI alone in the differentiation of uterine sarcomas from benign leiomyomas.     

Diffusion‐weighted images differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules

Purpose:

To reveal the possible role of diffusion‐weighted images (DWI) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by comparing the results of fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).

Materials and Methods:

In an 18‐month period (December 2005 to May 2007), 27 cases with benign thyroid nodules with a total of 52 benign nodules, nine cases with thyroid gland malignancy, and 24 healthy control cases were included in the study. Cases that were indicated to undergo to FNAC examination and sent by a clinician for biopsy to the radiology unit were included in the study to assess the cytopathologic confirmation of the clinic, ultrasonographic, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Results:

The mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of thyroid nodules were 2745.3 ± 601.1 × 10^?6 mm²/s (1605–3899 × 10^?6mm²/s) in the benign group and 695.2 ± 312.5 × 10^?6mm²/s (165–1330 × 10^?6mm²/s) in the malignant group. Normal thyroid tissues had mean ADC values of 1344.1 ± 276.4 × 10^?6 mm²/s (1015–1764 × 10^?6mm²/s). The ADC values of three subgroups were significantly different (P = 0.0001). A reduced ADC was observed in most types of malignant tumors due to the consequent decrease of the extracellular extravascular space.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary results showed that ADC values of nodules may provide useful data about the nature of a thyroid nodule. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:94–100. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.