title: Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the liver of hepatitis C patients.
abstract: Magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the liver was investigated to determine whether this method could be used to differentiate between the stages of fibrosis and inflammation for hepatitis C viral infection. DWI data were recorded for 18 hepatitis C patients and 10 control subjects using a modified pulse sequence allowing a 52 ms echo time delay. Acquisitions were performed with breath holding using five different b gradient factor values ranging between 50 and 250 s/mm(2) and in the three axes. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured from a 5.7 cm(2) area in the central region of the liver. The inflammation and fibrosis grades were evaluated histologically on a biopsy sample. The mean ADC values were 2.30 +/- 1.28 x 10(-3) and 1.79 +/- 0.25 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for hepatitis C patients and control subjects, respectively. Using our technique, no correlation could be found between the ADC values and the inflammation or fibrosis scores, indicating that tissue changes produced by hepatitis C do not appear to be quantifiable by DWI.
authors.affiliation: Département de radiologie, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. yvan.boulanger@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boulanger
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amara
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lepanto
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beaudoin
authors.forename: Bich N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Allaire
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poliquin
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nicolet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity