Diffusion-weighted imaging of soft tissue tumors: usefulness of the apparent diffusion coefficient for differential diagnosis.
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.
Nagata
Shuji
S
Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan. sn4735@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
Nishimura
Hiroshi
H
Uchida
Masafumi
M
Sakoda
Jun
J
Tonan
Tatsuyuki
T
Hiraoka
Kouji
K
Nagata
Kensei
K
Akiba
Jun
J
Abe
Toshi
T
Hayabuchi
Naofumi
N
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