title: Assessment of the dentin-pulp complex response to caries by ADC mapping.
abstract: The prognostic potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping was studied as complemented by high-resolution 3D T(1)-weighted MRI in the assessment of dentin-pulp complex response to caries. Twenty-six extracted human teeth, with or without caries lesions of different grades in accord with the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), were analyzed by high-resolution MRI at 2.35 T. A signal rise in demineralized hard dental tissues in high-resolution T(1)-weighted MR images enabled assessment of the demineralization depth over the whole range of ICDAS scores. ADC maps of the teeth were calculated from corresponding diffusion-weighted images of four different b values: 0, 132, 317, 635 s/mm(2). These maps enabled reliable differentiation between intact (ADC > 1.0·10(-9) m(2)/s) and affected (ADC < 1.0·10(-9) m(2)/s) regions of dental pulp. Linear regression analyses of demineralization depth in relation to ICDAS score and then also to average ADC of dental pulp showed that a demineralization depth increase of one millimeter corresponds to an ICDAS score increase of 1.2 and an average ADC decrease of 0.07·10(-9) m(2)/s. Results of the study indicate that the average ADC value of dental pulp could be used as a potential marker to assess tissue response to caries comparable to that of ICDAS scoring.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jernej
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vidmar
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cankar
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Serša
mesh_terms: D003731:Dental Caries / Q000473:pathology*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000473:pathology*; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology*; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017001:Tooth Demineralization