Evaluation of hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma using diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR with three values of gradient b-factor
✍ Scribed by Takao Moteki; Hiroyuki Horikoshi
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2006
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 254 KB
- Volume
- 24
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1053-1807
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Purpose
To determine whether diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar (EP) MR images with very small, small, and large gradient b‐factors are useful in evaluating hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma.
Materials and Methods
Approximate values of the apparent diffusion coefficients for diffusion (D) and for flowing spins (D*) for 96 hepatic lesions (26 hepatocellular carcinomas [HCCs], 28 metastases, 26 hemangiomas, and 16 cysts) and the non‐lesion‐bearing regions of parenchyma in 78 livers (50 noncirrhotic and 28 cirrhotic) were calculated from EP images (modified for gradient b‐factors of 3, 50, and 300 second/mm^2^).
Results
Liver cysts and noncirrhotic livers showed statistically higher mean D* values than HCCs, hemangiomas, metastases, and cirrhotic livers (P < 0.05 on Scheffé post hoc analysis). Liver cysts showed statistically higher mean D values than HCCs, metastases, noncirrhotic livers, and cirrhotic livers (P < 0.05). Liver hemangiomas showed statistically higher mean D values than HCCs, noncirrhotic livers, and cirrhotic livers (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
The D* value in addition to the D value may be useful for evaluating the nature of diffusion and flowing spins in hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.