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Apparent diffusion coefficient values of mediastinal masses in children
Ahmed Abdel Khalek Abdel Razek1, Nermin Soliman, Rasha Elashery
1Diagnostic Radiology Department, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt. arazek@mans.edu.eg
Insights
Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values can differentiate benign from malignant mediastinal masses in children. This non-invasive MRI parameter shows high accuracy in distinguishing these pediatric tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Oncology Imaging
- Diffusion Weighted Imaging
Background:
- Mediastinal masses in children require accurate characterization.
- Distinguishing benign from malignant lesions is crucial for treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between benign and malignant mediastinal mass lesions in pediatric patients.
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ADC values in differentiating these lesions.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 24 pediatric patients with mediastinal masses.
- Echo planar diffusion-weighted MRI with b-factors of 0 and 600 s/mm(2) was performed.
- Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated and correlated with histopathology.
Main Results:
- Mean ADC value for malignant tumors was 0.91 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; for benign lesions, it was 1.8 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s.
- A significant difference in ADC values was observed between malignant and benign mediastinal tumors (P<0.001).
- A threshold ADC value of 1.2 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s achieved 93% accuracy, 92% sensitivity, and 94% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is a valuable non-invasive parameter for assessing mediastinal masses in children.
- ADC measurements can aid in differentiating benign from malignant pediatric mediastinal lesions.
- This technique offers a promising approach for improved diagnostic accuracy in pediatric oncology imaging.
Objective:
Compare apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between benign and malignant mass lesions in a cohort of children referred for imaging of a mediastinal mass.
Material And Methods:
Prospective study including 24 consecutive children (11 boys, 13 girls aged 5 months to 16 years). All underwent echo planar diffusion weighted MR imaging of the mediastinum with b-factors of 0 and 600 s/mm(2). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated and correlated with the surgical finding or biopsy.
Results:
The mean ADC value of malignant mediastinal tumors was 0.91 (S.D., 0.17) × 10(-3) mm(2)/s and of benign lesions 1.8 (S.D., 0.33) × 10(-3) mm(2)/s. There was significant different in the ADC value between malignant tumors and benign mediastinal tumors (P<0.001). Selection of 1.2 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s as a threshold value for differentiating malignant from benign mediastinal masses has an accuracy of 93%, sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 94%, positive predictive value of 94%, negative predictive value of 92% and area under the curve of 0.962.
Conclusion:
Apparent diffusion coefficient value is a promising non-invasive parameter for assessment of mediastinal mass in children.
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