Quantitative evaluation of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of focal hepatic lesions

AIM: To explore the quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI) in differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions. METHODS: DWMRI was performed in 149 hepatic lesions, including hepatocellular carcinoma (34 cases), hepatic metastases (37 cases), cavernous hemangioma (42 cases), hepatic cyst (36 cases). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were evaluated using four different b values in different sequences. The ratio of ADC values of lesion/liver in hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic metastases was also calculated. RESULTS: The mean ADC values of hepatic lesions were as follows: hepatocellular carcinoma (0.95 +/- 0.11) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, hepatic metastasis (1.13 +/- 0.21) x10(-3) mm(2)/s, cavernous hemangioma (1.86 +/- 0.36) x10(-3) mm(2)/s, hepatic cyst (3.14 +/- 0.31) x10(-3) mm(2)/s. The ratio of ADC values in lesion/liver in hepatocellular carcinoma was 0.91 +/- 0.11, being significantly different from that in hepatic metastasis (1.21 +/- 0.18, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ADC values and quantitative analysis of focal hepatic lesions are of significant values in differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions. (C) 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.