High resolution diffusion-weighted imaging with readout segmentation of long variable echo-trains for determining...

We assessed the image quality of endometrial cancer lesions by readout segmentation of long variable echo-trains (RESOLVE) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) compared with that by single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) DWI, aimed to explore the value of RESOLVE DWI for determining myometrial invasion and clinical stage in endometrial cancer.

From April 2017 to March 2018, a total of 30 endometrial cancer patients (mean age 52.8 ± 9.0 years), who had undergone RESOLVE DWI and SS-EPI DWI, were included in the study. The image quality of endometrial carcinoma by two kinds of DWI scanning methods was compared qualitatively and quantitatively. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to assess the correlation of qualitative image quality scores between two readers. The accuracy of two DWI methods in detecting myometrial invasion and staging of endometrial carcinoma was calculated according to postoperative pathological results. The indexes were analyzed including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

The qualitative score of RESOLVE DWI group was superior to SS-EPI DWI group in every aspect of five aspects (all P < 0.001). Interobserver agreement of depiction was good or excellent in two DWI sequences. Signal to noise ratio and contrast to noise ratio values in RESOLVE DWI group were both higher than those in SS-EPI DWI group (P<0.001). No statistical difference of apparent diffusion coefficient value was observed between two DWI groups (P = 0.261). The specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of estimating myometrial invasion by RESOLVE DWI in three cases (intramucosal lesion, <50% superficial invasion and ≥ 50% deep invasion) were all higher than those by SS-EPI DWI for endometrial carcinoma. Especially RESOLVE DWI was valuable in judging <50% superficial invasion (95%CI:0.586, 0.970). No significant difference in accuracy staging was between the two DWI groups (P = 0.125).

RESOLVE DWI can provide higher quality images of endometrial carcinoma than SS-EPI DWI. The high-quality images are helpful for precise assessment of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer.