title: Diffusion-weighted MR imaging in musculoskeletal diseases: current concepts.
abstract: MR imaging is currently regarded as a pivotal technique for the assessment of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) is a relatively recent sequence that provides information on the degree of cellularity of lesions. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value provides information on the movement of water molecules outside the cells. The literature contains many studies that have evaluated the role of DWI in musculoskeletal diseases. However, to date they yielded conflicting results on the use and the diagnostic capabilities of DWI in the area of musculoskeletal diseases. However, many of them have showed that DWI is a useful technique for the evaluation of the extent of the disease in a subset of musculoskeletal cancers. In terms of tissue characterization, DWI may be an adjunct to the more conventional MR imaging techniques but should be interpreted along with the signal of the lesion as observed on conventional sequences, especially in musculoskeletal cancers. Regarding the monitoring of response to therapy in cancer or inflammatory disease, the use of ADC value may represent a more reliable additional tool but must be compared to the initial ADC value of the lesions along with the knowledge of the actual therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: benjamin.dallaudiere@gmail.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dallaudière
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lecouvet
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vande Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Omoumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perlepe
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerny
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malghem
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal imaging, IREC, Saint-Luc University Clinic, avenue Hippocrate, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larbi
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D006801:Humans; D019042:Muscle Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Cancer; Diffusion; MR imaging; Musculoskeletal; Rheumatismal