Magnetic resonance diffusion characteristics of histologically defined prostate cancer in humans

The contrast provided by diffusion‐sensitive magnetic resonance offers the promise of improved tumor localization in organ‐confined human prostate cancer (PCa). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of PCa were performed in vivo, in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, and later, ex vivo, in the same patients' prostatectomy specimens. The imaging data were coregistered to histological sections of the prostatectomy specimens, thereby enabling unambiguous characterization of diffusion parameters in cancerous and benign tissues. Increased cellularity, and hence decreased luminal spaces, in peripheral zone PCa led to approximately 40% and 50% apparent diffusion policy (ADC) decrease compared with benign peripheral zone tissues in vivo and ex vivo, respectively. In contrast, no significant diffusion anisotropy differences were observed between the cancerous and noncancerous peripheral zone tissues. However, the dense fibromuscular tissues in prostate, such as stromal tissues in benign prostatic hyperplasia in central gland, exhibited high diffusion anisotropy. A tissue classification method is proposed to combine DTI and T2‐weighted image contrasts that may provide improved specificity of PCa detection over T2‐weighted imaging alone. PCa identified in volume rendered MR images qualitatively correlates well with histologically determined PCa foci. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Diffusion tensor MRI: Preliminary anisotropy measures and mapping of breast tumors

Purpose:

To investigate whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of anisotropy in breast tumors are different from normal breast tissue and can improve the discrimination between benign and malignant lesions.

Materials and Methods:

The study included 81 women with 105 breast lesions (76 malignant, 29 benign). DTI was performed during breast MRI examinations, and fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured for breast lesions and normal tissue in each subject. FA and ADC were compared between cancers, benign lesions, and normal tissue by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results:

The FA of carcinomas (mean ± SD: 0.24 ± 0.07) was significantly lower than normal breast tissue in the same subjects (0.29 ± 0.07; P < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regression showed that FA and ADC were each independent discriminators of malignancy (P < 0.0001), and that FA improved discrimination between cancer and normal tissue over ADC alone. However, there was no difference in FA between malignant and benign lesions (P = 0.98).

Conclusion:

Diffusion anisotropy is significantly lower in breast cancers than normal tissue, which may reflect alterations in tissue organization. Our preliminary results suggest that FA adds incremental value over ADC alone for discriminating malignant from normal tissue but does not help with distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010; 31: 339–347. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

轻型创伤性脑损伤脑白质纤维束扩散张量成像研究

目的：使用3.0T 磁共振扩散张量成像(DTI)技术观察轻型创伤性脑损伤(mTBI)患者脑白质纤维束的改变,探讨 DTI对 mTBI 的临床诊断价值。方法选取30例 mTBI 患者及30例健康对照者分别进行常规 CT、MRI 及 DTI 检查,分别测量 mTBI患者(急性期、亚急性期、伤后5周~3个月)和对照者的胼胝体膝部、压部、双侧内囊前后肢、扣带束、上纵束、下纵束的各向异性(FA)值、表观扩散系数(ADC)值,观察各测量值的变化规律。结果mTBI 患者部分脑白质纤维束区的 FA 值在急性期、亚急性期减低(P 均<0.05),伤后5周~3个月时仍低于对照者(P 均<0.05),但胼胝体膝部及压部的 FA 值在急性期不减低反而升高(P 均>0.05),此后呈逐渐减低趋势,并在外伤5周~3个月时略低于正常对照组,但差异无统计学意义(P 均>0.05)。急性期、亚急性期 mTBI 患者的 ADC 值低于正常对照组,并在外伤5周~3个月时接近或略高于对照组,但差异无统计学意义(P 均>0.05)。结论DTI 对 mTBI 敏感性较高,能够准确显示白质纤维束的损伤情况并使其可视化,DTI 对 mTBI 的诊断具有重要的临床价值。     

Diffusion MRI predicts transrectal ultrasound biopsy results in prostate cancer detection

Purpose

To evaluate the ability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to predict the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy outcomes in persons who have no history of previous TRUS biopsy and present with elevated prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Materials and Methods

Thirty‐seven participants underwent DTI, followed by 12‐core TRUS‐guided needle biopsy within 2 weeks. DTI was performed using endorectal coils on a 1.5 Tesla scanner at 1‐mm³ spatial resolution. By comparing with the TRUS biopsy results, the optimum thresholds of the trace apparent diffusion coefficient (tADC) and of the nodular size were investigated. The diagnostic performance of both criteria, the tADC threshold (Criteria A) and the tADC threshold combined with nodular size threshold (Criteria B), were evaluated.

Results

The optimum tADC threshold was 1.0 μm²/ms. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of prostate cancer (PCA) detection for Criteria A were 98%, 89%, 73%, 99%, and 91%, respectively, and were 97%, 98%, 92%, 99% and 98% for Criteria B.

Conclusion

Owing to high negative predictive value, the tADC threshold could be used to exclude subjects with clinically undetectable PCA. Adding the nodular size threshold, the combined threshold could identify the tADC‐positive segments that are likely to yield positive biopsy results. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:356–363. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Can diffusion tensor imaging predict motor power affection after moderate traumatic brain injury?

Objective

To determine whether commissural and projection fibers fractional anisotropy (FA) abnormalities can help in the prediction of long-term outcome of motor power affection after moderately severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods

MRI protocol included diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and was performed for 32 patients with moderate TBI and 32 matched control subjects. Regions of interests were applied in the FA maps in the corpus callosum, internal capsules posterior limb, and cerebral peduncles. Results were compared in patients with motor power affection and patients without motor power affection to the control group.

Results

All patients had FA values lower than the control group with significance differences in the corpus callosum. Patient group with weakness had FA values lower than the control groups with significance differences in the posterior limb of the left internal capsules (p = 0.001) and left cerebral peduncles (p < 0.001). Significant differences were found when comparing the posterior limb of the left internal capsule (p = 0.002) and left cerebral peduncle (p = 0.022) to the right side in the weakness group.

Conclusion

FA values measured in the acute stage provided information about associated and projectional fibers disruptions, which have a prognostic value about motor power affection.     

Thoracic and lumbar spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging in dogs

Purpose:

To analyze four clinically applicable diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocols (two each in the transverse and sagittal planes) in the normal dog.

Materials and Methods:

Seven healthy Dachshund dogs were scanned with four DTI protocols. Within each plane, identical spatial resolution was used while the number of diffusion‐encoding directions and averages varied. Agreement of measured fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was analyzed with Bland–Altman methods, subjective image quality within each plane was compared, and FA and ADC were explored as a function of anatomic location.

Results:

There was good agreement in FA and ADC values within each plane. FA had the smallest bias and most precision. No difference was detected in subjective image quality within each plane. FA and ADC were slightly higher cranial to the lumbar intumescence compared to within it.

Conclusion:

DTI is a promising tool in the assessment of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the study of dogs with intervertebral disk herniation as a preclinical model of human SCI. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:632–641. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Early (72-hour) detection of radiotherapy-induced changes in an experimental tumor model using diffusion-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and Q-space imaging parameters: a comparative study

Purpose:

To assess and compare the potential of various diffusion‐related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters to detect early radiotherapy (RT)‐induced changes in tumors.

Materials and Methods:

Nineteen tumors in a rat model were imaged on a clinical 3T system before and 72 hours after a single RT session. Diffusion imaging was performed using an echo planar sequence containing 16 b‐factors and six gradient directions. This allowed us to perform a tensor analysis of mono‐ and biexponential decays and a q‐space analysis. Parametric maps (both trace and fractional anisotropy) were reconstructed for: 2‐point apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), 16‐point ADC, biexponential amplitudes and ADCs, and height, width, and kurtosis of the probability density function (PDF). A texture analysis yielded quantities such as average and contrast. The sensitivity of diffusion‐related parameters was quantified in terms of the mean relative difference (when comparing pre‐ and post‐RT status).

Results:

Traces and anisotropies display differences in response to RT. Average traces are most sensitive for ADCs and kurtosis. Average anisotropies are all very sensitive except the slow biexponential component. The best contrast (traces) was found for the ADCs and the width of the PDF.

Conclusion:

ADC performed well, but high b‐values analysis added extra sensitive parameters for monitoring early RT‐induced changes. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;409‐417. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Relative indices of water diffusion anisotropy are equivalent in live and formalin-fixed mouse brains.

Formalin fixation of tissue is a common laboratory practice. A direct comparison of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters from mouse brains before (in vivo) and after (ex vivo) formalin fixation is reported herein. Five diffusion indices were examined in a cohort of seven mice: relative anisotropy (RA), directional correlation (DC), trace (Tr(D)), trace-normalized axial diffusivity (D(axially)), and radial diffusivity (D(radially)). Seven regions of interest (ROIs), including five in white matter and two in gray matter, were selected for examination. Consistent with previous findings, a significant decrease of Tr(D) was observed for all ROIs after fixation. However, water diffusion anisotropy, as defined by the indices RA, DC, D(axially), and D(radially), remained unchanged after fixation. Thus, fixation does not appear to alter diffusion anisotropy in the mouse brain. This finding supports the utility of diffusion anisotropy analysis of fixed tissue. The combination of DTI measurements and standard histology may shed light on the microstructural determinants of diffusion anisotropy in normal and disease states.     

Cerebral asymmetry in patients with schizophrenia: A voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study

Purpose:

To evaluate the differences in gray‐ and white‐matter asymmetry between schizophrenia patients and normal subjects.

Materials and Methods:

Forty‐eight right‐handed patients with chronic schizophrenia (24 males and 24 females) and 48 right‐handed age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (24 males and 24 females) were included in this study. The effects of diagnosis on gray‐matter volume asymmetry and white‐matter fractional anisotropy (FA) asymmetry were evaluated with use of voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) and voxel‐based analysis of FA maps derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), respectively.

Results:

The mean gray‐ and white‐matter volumes were significantly smaller in the schizophrenia group than in the control group. The voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) showed no significant effect of diagnosis on gray‐matter volume asymmetry. The voxel‐based analysis of DTI also showed no significant effect of diagnosis on white‐matter FA asymmetry.

Conclusion:

Our results of voxel‐based analyses showed no significant differences in either gray‐matter volume asymmetry or white‐matter FA asymmetry between schizophrenia patients and normal subjects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:221–226. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

猫闭合性创伤性脑水肿扩散加权成像的实验研究

目的建立猫急性闭合性脑创伤(TBI)模型,并应用扩散加权成像(DWI)探讨伤后脑水肿类型及演变规律。方法共选取22只猫,以最大角加速度(6.43±0.15)×105rad/s2制成TBI模型,其中10只用于常规MRI及DWI扫描,连续观察伤前及伤后3、6、24、48、72 h 6个时相点,另于上述相同6个时相点,分别选取6只猫用于HE及嗜银染色、6只猫用于透射电镜观察。结果常规MRI显示蛛网膜下腔出血1例、硬膜外或硬膜下出血2例、脑挫裂伤2例、脑室内出血1例、同时显示蛛网膜下腔出血和脑挫裂伤2例、同时显示硬膜下出血和脑实质内点状出血2例。10只猫致伤前后各时点ADC值显示细胞毒性及血管源性两种类型脑水肿,其中7只(70%)猫以细胞毒性脑水肿改变为主,24 h达峰值;3只(30%)猫早期以血管源性脑水肿改变为主,6 h达峰值,而后期以细胞毒性脑水肿为主。HE、嗜银染色及透射电镜显示血管通透性增加、细胞肿胀,轴索肿胀、断裂、轴索球形成。结论猫急性闭合性创伤性脑水肿包括细胞毒性及血管源性两类,以细胞毒性水肿为主。扩散加权成像是观测脑水肿的一种可靠方法。     

Comparison of the diagnostic performances of diffusion parameters in diffusion weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging of breast lesions

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the diffusion parameters measured by conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for discrimination of malignant breast lesions from benign lesions and the normal breast.

Materials and methods

The study included 52 women with 55 breast lesions (30 malignant, 25 benign). DTI and DWI were performed complementary to dynamic contrast MRI at 3T. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of DWI, mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of DTI were measured for lesions and contralateral breast parenchyma in each patient. We used b factors of 0, 50, 850, 1000 and 1500 s/mm² for DWI and b 0 and 1000 s/mm² for DTI. ADC, MD and FA values were compared between malignant and benign lesions, and the normal parenchyma by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Diffusion parameters showed no difference according to menopausal status in the normal breast. ADC and MD values of the malignant lesions were significantly lower than benign lesions and normal parenchyma (p = 0.001). The FA showed no statistical significance. With the cut-off values of ≤1.23 × 10⁻³ mm²/s (b 0–1000 s/mm²) and ≤1.12 × 10⁻³ mm²/s (b 0–1500 s/mm²), ADC showed 92.85% and 96.15% sensitivity; 72.22% and 73.52% PPV, respectively. With a cut-off value of ≤1.27 × 10⁻³ mm²/s (b 1000 s/mm²), MD was 100% sensitive with a PPV of 65.90%. Comparing the diagnostic performance of the parameters in DTI with DWI, we obtained similar efficiency of ADC with b values of 0,1000 and 0,1500 s/mm² and MD with a b value of 0, 1000 s/mm² (AUC = 0.82 ± 0.07).

Conclusion

ADC of DWI and MD of DTI values provide significant discriminative factors for benign and malignant breast lesions. FA measurement was not discriminative. Supported with clinical and dynamic contrast MRI findings, DWI and DTI findings provide significant contribution to the final radiologic decision.     

Evidence of subcortical and cortical aging of the acoustic pathway: a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: During aging, there is evidence of microstructural changes in certain cortical and subcortical brain regions. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is used to study age related microstructural changes in the acoustic pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers (mean age 28.5 years) and 15 healthy volunteers (mean age 61.3 years) were examined using a 1.5-T MR system with a high-resolution T1-weighted sequence and an integrated parallel imaging technique DTI Echo-planar-imaging (EPI) sequence. For reliability, 10 subjects underwent a second examination 2 days later. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured in six brain regions of the auditory pathway. RESULTS: We found no left/right asymmetry in the selected brain structures. There were no significant differences (P < .05) in the ADC and FA in the lateral lemniscus and medial geniculate body of young and elderly subjects. However, FA was significantly increased (P < .05) in the inferior colliculus and decreased in the auditory radiation, the superficial temporal gyrus, and the transverse temporal gyrus in the elder subjects than in the younger ones. There were no significant differences in anisotropy in subsequent examinations in the younger individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest evidence of age-related changes in the acoustic pathway. These changes are associated with a decrease in anisotropy mainly in the cortical grey and white matter rather than in the subcortical regions. Our DTI measurements were reproducible.     

Cerebral white matter damage in frontotemporal dementia assessed by diffusion tensor tractography

INTRODUCTION: We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study white matter integrity in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). METHODS: The subjects comprised 20 patients (9 men, 11 women) with FTD and 17 age-matched healthy controls (9 men, 8 women). Based on the data obtained from DTI, we performed tractography of the major cerebral pathways, including the pyramidal tracts, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral arcuate fasciculi (AF), inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILF) and uncinate fasciculi (UF). We measured the values of fractional anisotropy (FA) in each fiber and statistically compared the findings in patients with those in controls. RESULTS: We found a significant decrease in FA values in the selected association fibers as well as anterior fibers of the CC in the patients with FTD. The greatest decrease in mean FA of the UF was seen in advanced FTD. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in FA in the bilateral pyramidal tracts. CONCLUSION: The features of FTD from the view point of cerebral white matter damage were revealed by tractography based on DTI. DTI is therefore considered to be a useful method, and may provide clues to elucidating the pathogenesis of FTD.     

Prediction of motor outcome in ischemic stroke involving the pyramidal tract using diffusion tensor imaging

Background and purpose

Early evaluation of the pyramidal tract is a prerequisite in patients with ischemic stroke in order to decide the optimal treatment or to assess appropriate rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to predict motor outcome using quantitative and qualitative diffusion tensor parameters and their correlations with severity of stroke as defined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

Materials and methods

Twenty-one patients presenting with ischemic stroke were studied with DTI. All patients had diffusion measurements such as FA values of the affected and unaffected regions and the FA ratio between them. Color FA maps of the pyramidal tract were constructed and the degree of infarctions was classified into groups according to the involvements of the pyramidal tracts. The motor performance of the upper and lower extremities was assessed using the NIHSS on the day of patients’ admission and discharge. The motor outcomes were correlated with the FA values of the pyramidal tract.

Results

The FA values of the affected pyramidal tracts were significantly lower as compared with the unaffected side (p-value <0.01). The reduction in the FA values of the affected side was significantly correlated (r = 0.41 and p-value <0.001) with the degree of pyramidal tract involvements that were significantly correlated with the motor outcome on patients’ discharge day.

Conclusions

Quantitative (FA values) and qualitative (the diffusion tensor tractography) diffusion parameters have potential to predict motor outcome in patients with ischemic stroke.     

Apparent diffusion coefficient and fractional anisotropy in the vertebral bone marrow

Purpose:

To assess the state of cancellous tissue we analyzed the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in vertebral bone marrow.

Materials and Methods:

With 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single‐shot diffusion echo planar imaging was used with b factors of 0 and 1000 s/mm², diffusion‐sensitizing gradient in six directions, sensitivity encoding technique, effective TE of 74 msec, and TR of 1800 msec. ADC and FA were determined in the lumbar vertebral body of 11 normal subjects (age 31 632–635 years), and then compared with the bone mineral density (BMD) obtained with dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Moreover, fat fraction (FF) of the bone marrow was measured with spectral presaturation with inversion recovery (SPIR) in the same subject.

Results:

A strong negative correlation was found between ADC and BMD for low or moderate FF in vertebral bone marrow. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was noted between ADC and FF in this region. There was a positive correlation between FA and BMD, and no correlation between FA and FF in the vertebral bone marrow.

Conclusion:

Diffusion analyses with ADC and FA make it possible to obtain more detailed information on the structure of cancellous tissue and bone metabolism. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:632–635. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Minimum detectable difference of MR diffusion maps in acute ischemic stroke

PURPOSE: To determine the minimum detectable difference (MDD) and investigate variability of region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with acute stroke (<24 hours) and moderate-to-large infarcts were imaged using a fast diffusion tensor technique. Four observers repeated three trials, during which each of two ROI types (free-hand polygon and ellipse) were drawn in white and gray matter (WM and GM) on FA and ADC maps. Analysis-of-variance techniques examined tissue and ROI type effects as well as inter- and intraobserver variability. F-tests examined the variability differences between ROI types. RESULTS: The MDD for ADC was 0.160 x 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) in WM and 0.212 x 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) in GM. The FA MDD was 0.19 in WM and 0.10 in GM. Tissue but not ROI type affected the mean values for both ADC and FA maps. Intraobserver reliability was substantial, while interobserver reliability was poor-to-moderate. No variability differences were found by ROI types. CONCLUSION: The MDD for WM and GM in normal and ischemic tissue were calculated. Inter- and intraobserver variability and tissue type affect ROI analysis of ADC and FA maps.     

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Can Discriminate the Primary Cell Type of Intracranial Metastases for Patients with Lung Cancer

Purpose: Histopathological differentiation of primary lung cancer is clinically important. We aimed to investigate whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters of metastatic brain lesions could predict the histopathological types of the primary lung cancer.Methods: In total, 53 patients with 98 solid metastatic brain lesions of lung cancer were included. Lung tumors were subgrouped as non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) (n = 34) and small cell carcinoma (SCLC) (n = 19). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were calculated from solid enhanced part of the brain metastases. The association between FA and ADC values and histopathological subtype of the primary tumor was investigated.Results: The mean ADC and FA values obtained from the solid part of the brain metastases of SCLC were significantly lower than the NSCLC metastases (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). ROC curve analysis showed diagnostic performance for mean ADC values (AUC=0.889, P = < 0.001) and FA values (AUC = 0.677, P = 0.002). Cut-off value of > 0.909 × 10^-3 mm²/s for mean ADC (Sensitivity = 80.3, Specificity = 83.8, PPV = 89.1, NPV = 72.1) and > 0.139 for FA values (Sensitivity = 80.3, Specificity = 54.1, PPV = 74.2, NPV= 62.5) revealed in differentiating NSCLC from NSCLC.Conclusion: DTI parameters of brain metastasis can discriminate SCLC and NSCLC. ADC and FA values of metastatic brain lesions due to the lung cancer may be an important tool to differentiate histopathological subgroups. DTI may guide clinicians for the management of intracranial metastatic lesions of lung cancer.