Feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in the differentiation of metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes: early experience.
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.
Kim
Jeong Kon
JK
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
Kim
Kyoung Ah
KA
Park
Bum-Woo
BW
Kim
Namkug
N
Cho
Kyoung-Sik
KS
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*