IN-VIVO DIFFUSION MEASUREMENTS OF LIVER, KIDNEY, SPLEEN AND SACROSPINALIS MUSCLE USING AN ECHO-PLANAR MR-IMAGING SYSTEM IN HEALTHY-PERSONS

A diffusion sensitive pulse sequence using a stimulated echo (STEAM) type excitation and echo-planar (EPI) readout was developed on a 1.5 T echo-planar MR imaging system. Using this sequence the authors measured the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) of water in normal human liver, spleen, muscle and kidney in 12 volunteers. ADCs measured in normal volunteers were: liver, 1.39 +/- 0.16 10(-3) mm(2)/s, spleen, 0.95 +/- 0.15 10(-3) mm(2)/s, muscle, 1.99 +/- 0.16 10(-3) mm(2)/s, kidney, 3.54 +/- 0.47 10(-3) mm(2)/s. A large scatter of the ADCs in the kidneys was found in the different degrees of hydration status among the volunteers and also due to intersubject variability. With further clinical experience, in vivo diffusion measurements of the abdominal organs may prove helpful in the identification and classification of abdominal disease by MRI.