Hyperintense uterine myometrial masses on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: differentiation with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to determine whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) might be useful in differentiating uterine leiomyomas exhibiting hyperintensity on T2-weighted images from malignant lesions.


METHODS
Thirty-four uterine myometrial lesions including 7 malignant tumors and 27 leiomyomas (6 cellular leiomyomas [CLM] and 21 degenerated leiomyomas [DLM]) were evaluated. The apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) in cellular portions of the lesions were measured (10(-3) mm2/s).


RESULTS
All malignant tumors showed high signal intensity on DWI with low ADC (mean [SD], 0.79 [0.26]), which was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in benign leiomyomas (1.51 [0.33]). The ADC in CLM (1.18 [0.16]) was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in DLM (1.60 [0.30]) and higher (P < 0.05) than that in malignant tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
It was difficult to differentiate malignant tumors from leiomyomas on the basis of signal intensity on DWI; however, the ADC measurement may be helpful to distinguish malignant tumors, CLM, and DLM.
Takeuchi
Mayumi
M
Department of Radiology, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, Japan. mayumi@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Matsuzaki
Kenji
K
Nishitani
Hiromu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007889:Leiomyoma; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology