title: Diffusion-weighted imaging of soft tissue tumors: usefulness of the apparent diffusion coefficient for differential diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the efficacy of using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to differentiate soft tissue tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 88 histologically proven tumors (44 benign, 8 intermediate, 36 malignant) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images. Images of the tumors were obtained using a single-shot, spin-echo type echo-planar imaging sequence. The tumors were classified histologically as myxoid or nonmyxoid. We then compared the ADC values of the myxoid and nonmyxoid tumors; the benign and malignant myxoid tumors; and the benign, intermediate, and malignant nonmyxoid tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ADC value of the myxoid tumors (2.08 +/- 0.51 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) was significantly greater than that of the nonmyxoid tumors (1.13 +/- 0.40 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean ADC values between benign myxoid tumors (2.10 +/- 0.50 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and malignant myxoid tumors (2.05 +/- 0.58 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s). The mean ADC value of benign nonmyxoid tumors (1.31 +/- 0.46 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) was significantly higher than that of malignant nonmyxoid tumors (0.94 +/- 0.25 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ADC value might be useful for diagnosing the malignancy of nonmyxoid soft tissue tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan. sn4735@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakoda
authors.forename: Tatsuyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tonan
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Kensei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akiba
authors.forename: Toshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayabuchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology