Diffusion-weighted MRI in prostate cancer -- comparison between single-shot fast spin echo and echo planar imaging...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI is crucial for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis.
• Comparing MRI sequences like Fast Spin Echo (FSE) and Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) is essential for optimizing diagnostic accuracy.
• Understanding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) variations across different prostate zones and pathologies is key.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of single-shot FSE and single-shot EPI sequences in DW MRI for prostate cancer detection.
• To evaluate differences in ADC values between normal prostate tissues and prostate carcinoma (PCa) using both sequences.
• To determine if EPI or FSE sequences provide more significant ADC variations.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion-weighted MRI at 1.5 T was performed on two patient groups using single-shot FSE (14 patients) and single-shot EPI (15 patients).
• MRI data were correlated with biopsy and histopathology results.
• Average ADC values (x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) were calculated for the peripheral zone (PZ), central gland (CG), and prostate carcinoma (PCa) using b values of 0 and 600, with statistical analysis via Tukey-Kramer test.

Main Results:

• Both EPI and FSE sequences demonstrated significant differences in ADC values between normal PZ, CG, and PCa.
• EPI sequences produced significantly higher ADC values compared to FSE sequences across all regions: PZ (1.992±0.208 vs. 1.573±0.270, P<.001), CG (1.518±0.126 vs. 1.373±0.179), and PCa (1.214±0.254 vs. 0.993±0.158, P<.01).

Conclusions:

• Both EPI and FSE DW MRI sequences can differentiate between normal prostate zones and prostate carcinoma based on ADC values.
• The EPI sequence yields significantly higher ADC values than the FSE sequence, suggesting potential advantages for lesion detection or characterization in prostate MRI.