title: Apparent diffusion coefficient of normal adrenal glands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and reliability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements of normal adrenal glands.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study involving 32 healthy subjects, divided into two groups: prepubertal (PreP,n= 12), aged from 2 months to 12.5 years (4 males; 8 females); and postpubertal (PostP,n= 20), aged from 11.9 to 61 years (5 males; 15 females). Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) sequences were acquired at a 1.5 T scanner usingbvalues of 0, 20, 500, and 1000 s/mm2. Two radiologists evaluated the images. ADC values were measured pixel-by-pixel on DW-MRI scans, and automatic co-registration with the ADC map was obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ADC values for the right adrenal glands were 1.44 × 10-3mm2/s for the PreP group and 1.23 × 10-3mm2/s for the PostP group, whereas they were 1.58 × 10-3mm2/s and 1.32 × 10-3mm2/s, respectively, for the left glands. ADC values were higher in the PreP group than in the PostP group (p< 0.05). Agreement between readers was almost perfect (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.84-0.94;p< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of performing DW-MRI measurements of normal adrenal glands. They could also support the feasibility of ADC measurements of small structures.
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Attending Physician at the Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sara Reis
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Endocrinology Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Condé Lamparelli
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Attending Physician at the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira de Pernambuco (IMIP), Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea Farias de Melo
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Attending Physician at the Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane Mendes Gonçalves
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Radiology Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valdair Francisco
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Muglia
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Radiology Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elias Junior
keywords: Adrenal glands; Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging