ADC measurements in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma: a DWI and cellularity study

Purpose: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) allows quantifying the random motion of water molecules in tissue by means of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. The aim of the study was to determine whether ADC measurements allow discrimination of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) from follicular lymphoma (FL), and to examine the relationship between cellularity and ADC value of the tumor using DWI.

Materials and methods: Thirty-two patients with histologically proven non-Hodgkin lymphoma (21 with DLBCL and 11 with FL, 17 males and 15 females, mean age 62±13 years) underwent conventional MRI and DWI examination before treatment. The ADC values of DLBCL were compared to those of FL. The ADC value of the tumor was also correlated with the tumor tissue cellularity.

Results: The mean ADC value of DLBCL was not significantly different from that of FL (0.70±0.16×10(-3)mm(2)/s vs. 0.76±0.12×10(-3)mm(2)/s, P=0.21). The cellularity of DLBCL was significantly lower than that of FL (2991±351 cells/view vs. 4412±767 cells/view, P<0.001). There was no correlation between the ADC value and the tissue cellularity of the tumor in patients with DLBCL and FL.

Conclusion: ADC measurements could not differentiate between DLBCL and FL, and there was no correlation between the ADC value and cellularity of the tumor in patients with DLBCL and FL.