title: Apparent diffusion coefficients of normal uterus in premenopausal women with 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the normal uterine zonal structures (myometrium, endometrium, and junctional zone) during different phases of the menstrual cycle among premenopausal women with different age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 67 healthy women were obtained during the midproliferative and midsecretory phases. They were further divided into 3 age groups: group A (age range, 20-29 years); group B (age range, 30-39 years), and group C (mean age, 44.62 years; age range, 40-49 years). All the women underwent 3.0-T MR scanning twice. The ADC values were compared among each uterine zonal structure and 3 age groups and were calculated between the midproliferative and midsecretory phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ADC values among each uterine zonal structures were significantly different from one another (P < 0.001). The ADC values for endometrium in women in their 30s were higher than those in their 20s and in their 30s during the midproliferative and midsecretory phases (P < 0.05), and the ADC values for endometrium in each age groups were lower during the midproliferative phase than those during the midsecretory phase (P < 0.05), but there were no statistical differences in the myometrium and the junctional zone between the 2 phases or among age groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggested that the zone, age, and phase of the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women should be considered when interpreting the ADC values of uterine structures (especially for endometrium).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huan
authors.forename: Ziqian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D017697:Premenopause; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*