title: Diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in esophageal cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in detecting esophageal cancer and assessing lymph-node status, compared with histopathological results. DWI was prospectively performed in 24 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer, using the diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) sequence. DWIBS images were fused with T2-weighted images, and independently and blindly evaluated by three board-certified radiologists, regarding primary tumor detectability and lymph-node status. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the primary tumor and lymph nodes were also measured. Average primary tumor detection rate was 49.4%, average patient-based sensitivity and specificity for the detection of lymph-node metastasis were 77.8 and 55.6%, and average lymph-node group-based sensitivity and specificity were 39.4 and 92.6%. There were no interobserver differences among the three readers (P < 0.0001). Mean ADC of detected primary tumors was 1.26 +/- 0.29x10(-3) mm(2)/s. Mean ADC of metastatic lymph nodes (1.46 +/- 0.35x10(-3) mm(2)/s) was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than that of nonmetastatic lymph nodes (1.15 +/- 0.24 mm(2)/s), but ADCs of both groups overlapped. In conclusion, this study suggests that DWI only has a limited role in detecting esophageal cancer and nodal staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Bouseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. aine.sakurada@gmail.com
authors.forename: Aine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kwee
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Cauteren
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity