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Diffusion-weighted imaging of soft tissue tumors: usefulness of the apparent diffusion coefficient for differential diagnosis

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Abstract

Purpose

We evaluated the efficacy of using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to differentiate soft tissue tumors.

Materials and methods

We examined 88 histologically proven tumors (44 benign, 8 intermediate, 36 malignant) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images. Images of the tumors were obtained using a single-shot, spin-echo type echo-planar imaging sequence. The tumors were classified histologically as myxoid or nonmyxoid. We then compared the ADC values of the myxoid and nonmyxoid tumors; the benign and malignant myxoid tumors; and the benign, intermediate, and malignant nonmyxoid tumors.

Results

The mean ADC value of the myxoid tumors (2.08 ± 0.51 × 10−3 mm2/s) was significantly greater than that of the nonmyxoid tumors (1.13 ± 0.40 × 10−3 mm2/s) (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean ADC values between benign myxoid tumors (2.10 ± 0.50 × 10−3 mm2/s) and malignant myxoid tumors (2.05 ± 0.58 × 10−3 mm2/s). The mean ADC value of benign nonmyxoid tumors (1.31 ± 0.46 × 10−3 mm2/s) was significantly higher than that of malignant nonmyxoid tumors (0.94 ± 0.25 × 10−3 mm2/s) (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The ADC value might be useful for diagnosing the malignancy of nonmyxoid soft tissue tumors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahimachi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan

    Shuji Nagata, Masafumi Uchida, Jun Sakoda, Tatsuyuki Tonan, Toshi Abe & Naofumi Hayabuchi

  2. Department of Radiology, Saiseikai Futsukaichi Hospital, Chikushino, Japan

    Hiroshi Nishimura

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Kouji Hiraoka & Kensei Nagata

  4. Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Jun Akiba

Authors
  1. Shuji Nagata
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  2. Hiroshi Nishimura
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  3. Masafumi Uchida
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  4. Jun Sakoda
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  5. Tatsuyuki Tonan
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  9. Toshi Abe
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  10. Naofumi Hayabuchi
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Correspondence to Shuji Nagata.

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Nagata, S., Nishimura, H., Uchida, M. et al. Diffusion-weighted imaging of soft tissue tumors: usefulness of the apparent diffusion coefficient for differential diagnosis. Radiat Med 26, 287–295 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-008-0229-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-008-0229-8

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