ABSTRACT

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of diffusion weighted MRI and measured ADC values in differentiating benign and malignant liver masses.

Methods:

Sixty patients who had liver masses more than 1 cm in diameter detected by routine upper abdominal MRI, were additionally examined with diffusion weighted MRI. Two different diffusion gradients (b values were b=0 and b=1000 mm2/s) were applied in three different directions (x, y, z) using single shot echo-planar SE with 1.5 T MR imager. Diffusion weighted images and ADC maps of 60 liver masses in 60 patients were obtained.

Results:

The number of benign and malignant masses were 39 and 21 respectively. Benign masses consisted of 12 simple cysts, 12 hemangiomas, 2 FNH, 1 hepatic adenoma, 1 crrhotic regenerative nodule, 3 abcesses and 8 hydatid cysts. Malignant masses were 14 metastatic lesions, 7 hepatocellular carcnomas. The ADC values of simple cysts and hemangiomas were the highest among all liver masses. The mean ADC values of benign and malignant liver masses were 3.01x10-3 mm2/s and 1.28 x 10-3 mm2/s respectively. The difference between mean ADC values of benign and malignant liver masses was significant (p=0.001).

Conclusion:

Diffusion weighted MRI and the quantitative ADC values measurements can be useful in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant hepatic lesions