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. 2023 Oct 4:88:e455-e460.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2023.131911. eCollection 2023.

Application of diffusion kurtosis imaging in differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions

Joanna Podgórska  1   2 , Katarzyna Pasicz  3 , Witold Skrzyński  3 , Bogumił Gołębiewski  2 , Piotr Kuś  2 , Jakub Jasieniak  2 , Agnieszka Rogowska  4   5 , Paweł Kukołowicz  3 , Andrzej Cieszanowski  1   2
Affiliations

Application of diffusion kurtosis imaging in differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions

Joanna Podgórska et al. Pol J Radiol. .

Abstract

Purpose: Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is an MRI method related to diffusion imaging (DWI) that is distinguished by a non-Gaussian calculation of water particles movements in tissues. The aim of the study was to assess DKI advantage over DWI in differentiating benign and malignant liver lesions.

Material and methods: Analysis included prospectively acquired group of 83 patients referred consecutively for 3T-MRI liver tumor examination, with 95 liver lesions (31 benign, 59 malignant). MRI assessments were performed with standard protocol and DKI sequence with seven b-values (0-2,000 s/mm2). Quantitative data were acquired by placing ROIs in liver tumors on all b-value images, ROI data extracted, and calculation of DWI and DKI parameters. ADC was calculated for all b-values (ADC0-2000) and for three values of b = 0, 500, and 750 (s/mm2) (ADC0-500-750). DKI and ADC parameters for benign and malignant lesions were compared, and ROC curves were plotted.

Results: Significant differences were obtained for all DKI and ADC parameters. ROC analysis showed AUC of DK, K, ADC0-2000, and ADC0-500-750 was 0.74, 0.77, 0.77, and 0.75, respectively. The highest sensitivity (of 0.91) was obtained for ADC0-2000. The highest specificity (0.65) and accuracy (0.80) was obtained for K.

Conclusion: DKI technique yields statistically comparable results with DWI technique.

Keywords: MRI; diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI); diffusion weighted imaging (DWI); liver tumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Box-and-whisker plots illustrate median, interquartile range, minimal and maximal, and outlier data for benign and malignant liver lesions: (A) DK, (B) K, (C) ADC0-2000, (D) ADC0-500-700
Figure 2
Figure 2
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Comparisons of (A) DK, (B) K, (C) ADC0-2000, and (D) ADC0-500-700 between benign and malignant liver lesions
Figure 3
Figure 3
ADC maps created with different sets of b-values, ADC0-500-700 and ADC0-2000. Images (A) and (B) present hepatocellular carcinoma located in the left liver lobe (white arrow), and images (C) and (D) show focal nodular hyperplasia located in the posterior part of the right liver lobe (open arrow)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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