Apparent diffusion coefficient in malignant lymphoma and carcinoma involving cavernous sinus evaluated by line scan diffusion-weighted imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of malignant lymphomas and carcinomas involving cavernous sinus by line scan diffusion-weighted imaging (LSDWI) and to determine the usefulness of this method for differentiating between the two tumors.


METHODS
Four patients with malignant lymphomas and six patients with carcinomas were prospectively studied. LSDWI images were obtained with two different b values of 5 seconds/mm(2) and 1000 seconds/mm(2) in the coronal plane. The ADC values of the two types of tumors were calculated and compared.


RESULTS
LSDWI provided diagnostic images with minimum susceptibility artifacts and enabled measurement of the ADC. The ADC value (mean +/- SD) was 0.51 +/- 0.06 x 10(-3) mm(2)/second in malignant lymphomas and 0.99 +/- 0.08 x 10(-3) mm(2)/second in carcinomas. A significant difference in ADC values was found between the two (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Malignant lymphomas showed significantly lower ADC value than carcinomas. ADC provides additional useful information about differentiation between these tumors.
Maeda
Masayuki
M
Department of Radiology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan. mmaeda@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
Maier
Stephan E
SE
Sakuma
Hajime
H
Ishida
Masaki
M
Takeda
Kan
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*