title: Feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in the differentiation of metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes: early experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differentiation of metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 125 patients who underwent lymph node dissection for uterine cervical cancer, DWI was performed at b value of 0 and 1000 s/mm2. By referring to the surgical maps of the pelvic lymph nodes, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was compared in the metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes, and receiver-operating-characteristics analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the ADC in differentiating metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ADC were significantly lower in the metastatic lymph nodes (0.7651x10(-3) mm2/s+/-0.1137) than in the nonmetastatic lymph nodes (1.0021x10(-3) mm2/s+/-0.1859; P<0.001). The area-under-the-curve of ADC for differentiating metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes, was 0.902. The sensitivity and specificity of ADC for differentiating metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes, were 87% for the ADC and 80%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWI is feasible for differentiating metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes in patients with uterine cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Medical Imaging Laboratory, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine [corrected] Seoul, South Korea. rialto@amc.seoul.kr
authors.forename: Jeong Kon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoung Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bum-Woo
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Namkug
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoung-Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*