Measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient in intraductal mucin-producing tumor of the pancreas by diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging.
BACKGROUND
We investigated whether diffusion-weighted echo-planar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can help differentiate intraductal mucin-producing tumors of the pancreas from other cystic lesions.


METHODS
Diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging was performed in patients with mucin-producing tumors (n = 19), pseudocysts (n = 9), chronic pancreatitis with diffuse main pancreatic dilatation (n = 5), and serous cystadenomas (n = 2). Images were obtained with diffusion sensitizing gradients of 30, 300, and 900 s/mm2. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated.


RESULTS
The mean (+/- standard deviation) ADCs of mucin-producing tumors (2.8 x 10(-3) mm2/s +/- 1.0 x 10(-3)), pseudocysts (2.9 x 10(-3) mm2/s +/- 1.2 x 10(-3)), dilated main pancreatic duct in chronic pancreatitis (3.3 x 10(-3) mm2/s +/- 1.2 x 10(-3)), serous cystadenomas (2.9 x 10(-3) and 2.6 x 10(-3) mm2/s), and cerebrospinal fluid (3.5 x 10A(-3) mm2/s +/- 1.1 x 10(-3)) were not statistically different.


CONCLUSIONS
It is difficult to differentiate between mucin-producing tumors and other cystic lesions by ADC measurements when using diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging.
Irie
H
H
Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Honda
H
H
Kuroiwa
T
T
Yoshimitsu
K
K
Aibe
H
H
Shinozaki
K
K
Masuda
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000175:diagnosis