Non-breath-hold high b-value diffusion-weighted MRI with parallel imaging technique: apparent diffusion coefficient...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Quantitative evaluation of abdominal organs using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) requires established reference values.
• Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values provide insights into tissue microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of normal abdominal organs.
• To utilize non-breath-hold, high b-value DW-MRI with parallel imaging for accurate measurements.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 50 patients with normal abdominal MRI findings.
• DW-MRI acquisition with b-factors of 0, 500, and 1000 s/mm(2).
• Calculation of mean ADC values for various abdominal organs and liver segments.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in ADC values were observed across liver segments (P < 0.001).
• The left lobe lateral liver segment exhibited the highest ADC value.
• Specific ADC values were determined for kidney cortex and medulla, pancreas (head, body, tail), stomach wall, and spleen.

Conclusions:

• Establishing normal ADC values for abdominal organs is essential for quantitative DW-MRI interpretation in disease.
• Further research is needed to investigate the impact of diseases on these normal ADC values for improved quantitative DWI.