Diffusion coefficients in abdominal organs and hepatic lesions: evaluation with intravoxel incoherent motion echo-planar MR imaging

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the true diffusion coefficients of abdominal organs and hepatic lesions with intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) echo-planar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials and methods: Seventy-eight patients suspected of having hepatic lesions were examined with IVIM echo-planar MR imaging at 1.5 T. There were 77 hepatic masses (27 hepatocellular carcinomas, 10 metastatic tumors, eight hemangiomas, and 32 cysts) in the 78 patients. The true diffusion coefficient D and the perfusion fraction f were calculated and compared with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC).

Results: Specific values of D were found for abdominal organs (liver, 0.72 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; spleen, 0.80 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; kidney, 1.38 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; gallbladder, 2.82 x 10(-3) mm2/sec) and for hepatic lesions (hepatocellular carcinoma, 1.02 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; metastasis, 1.16 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; hemangioma, 1.31 x 10(-3) mm2/sec; cysts, 3.03 x 10(-3) mm2/sec). The ADCs of solid organs and solid lesions were significantly higher than their D values, indicating a high contribution of perfusion to the ADCs.

Conclusion: Perfusion contributes to the ADCs of abdominal organs and hepatic lesions. The D and f values are useful for the characterization of hepatic lesions.