title: Is diffusion-weighted imaging a significant indicator of the development of vascularization in hypovascular hepatocellular lesions?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the development of vascularization in hypovascular hepatocellular lesions (HHLs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two HHLs that were diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) arteriography were evaluated retrospectively. The lesion on DWI was classified as isointense, hypointense, or hyperintense. Follow-up studies that included intravenous dynamic CT or magnetic resonance imaging were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 730-day cumulative developments of vascularization in hypointense, isointense, and hyperintense lesions were 17%, 30%, and 40%, respectively. The differences among these developments were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The signal intensity on DWI showed no significant difference in the development of vascularization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takara
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University. Electronic address: saito-k@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moriyasu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akata
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuuye
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Development of vascularization; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Gd-EOB-DTPA; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hypovascular hepatocellular nodule