Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping for diagnosing infectious...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Spine Imaging

Background:

• Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is valuable for diagnosing various conditions.
• The utility of DW MRI in diagnosing infectious spondylodiscitis remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of DW MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping for diagnosing infectious spondylodiscitis.
• To compare ADC values in patients with infectious spondylodiscitis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study involving 17 patients with confirmed infectious spondylodiscitis.
• Matching patients with 17 DDD patients and 17 healthy controls by age and disc level.
• Acquisition of conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) followed by ADC value comparison.

Main Results:

• Mean ADCs were 1.76 ± 0.19 × 10(-3) mm²/s (controls), 1.12 ± 0.22 × 10(-3) mm²/s (DDD), and 1.27 ± 0.38 × 10(-3) mm²/s (infectious spondylodiscitis).
• Both DDD and infectious spondylodiscitis groups exhibited significantly lower ADCs compared to the normal control group (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• DW MRI and ADC mapping show potential for the early diagnosis of infectious spondylodiscitis.
• These imaging modalities may aid in differentiating infectious spondylodiscitis from other spinal pathologies.