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Differentiation of clinically benign and malignant breast lesions using diffusion-weighted imaging
Yong Guo1, You-Quan Cai, Zu-Long Cai
1Department of Radiology, General Navy Hospital, Beijing, China. guoyong@public.fhnet.cn.net
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI
|August 31, 2002
Summary
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) effectively differentiates benign and malignant breast lesions by analyzing apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs). Lower ADCs indicate malignancy, correlating with higher tumor cellularity.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Breast lesions require accurate differentiation between benign and malignant types for appropriate patient management.
- Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) offers a non-invasive method to assess tissue microstructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the efficacy of DWI in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions.
- To investigate the relationship between apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and tumor cellularity.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two female patients with histopathologically confirmed breast lesions participated.
- Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using a single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence with high b values was performed.
- Mean apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated and correlated with tumor cell density.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in ADCs were observed between benign ((1.57 +/- 0.23) x 10(-3) mm(2)/second) and malignant ((0.97 +/- 0.20) x 10(-3) mm(2)/second) breast lesions.
- A strong inverse correlation was found between mean ADCs and tumor cellularity (P < 0.01, r = -0.542).
Conclusions:
- Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) derived from DWI are valuable for differentiating malignant from benign breast lesions.
- Tumor cellularity significantly influences ADC values in both benign and malignant breast tumors.