title: Comparison between MRI with spin-echo echo-planar diffusion-weighted sequence (DWI) and histology in the diagnosis of soft-tissue tumours.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to assess the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with spin-echo echo-planar diffusion-weighted sequences (SE-EPI-DWI) in the study of primary and secondary soft-tissue tumours by correlating the results of imaging and histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 23 patients (14 men, 9 women; age range 25-87 years) affected by soft-tissue lesions. The MRI study was performed with baseline and contrast-enhanced SE-T1, proton density/T2-weighted (PD/T2), fat-saturated (FATSAT) DP/T2 and single-shot SE-EPI-DWI (b value 50-400- 800s/mm2) sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 7/23 benign lesions (three myxoid, four nonmyxoid) and 16/23 malignant tumours (four myxoid, 12 nonmyxoid) with a mean diameter between 21 mm and 20 cm. Qualitative analysis of DWI showed persistence of high signal intensity for increasing b-values in all malignant tumours. Quantitative DWI analysis of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps showed a statistical difference between benign and malignant lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, DWI with qualitative and quantitative analysis correlated well with histology.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Radiologia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Ospedale di Circolo - Fondazione Macchi, Via Guicciardini, 21100, Varese, Italy. eugegeno@libero.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Genovese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canì
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Angeretti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fugazzola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology