An intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging study of prostate cancer - Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters are different between prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and healthy peripheral zone (PZ).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detailed diffusion measurements of 26 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer have been made in this retrospective study. Trace IVIM DWI was performed using 10 b values (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, and 1000 s/mm2). Biexponential fits were applied to diffusion decay curves to calculate molecular diffusion coefficient, perfusion-related diffusion coefficient, and perfusion fraction on the basis of the IVIM model. Decay curves were also fit with monoexponential decay functions, and a statistical comparison between mono- and biexponential fits was performed. Paired t tests were performed to evaluate the statistical significance of the parameters of IVIM DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) between prostate cancer, BPH, and PZ.

RESULTS: The chi-square values of biexponential fits were smaller than those from monoexponential fits in all cases. Biexponential functions provided statistically improved fits over monoexponential functions in 81% of cases. The ADC, molecular diffusion coefficient, and perfusion fraction in prostate cancer were significantly lower than those found in the PZ; however, perfusion fractions in prostate cancer and BPH were not significantly different. There were no significant differences in the prostate cancer, BPH, and PZ for the perfusion-related diffusion coefficient, which had large SDs.

CONCLUSION: IVIM DWI parameters are significantly different between prostate cancer and PZ. IVIM DWI may offer additional information for tissue characterization in the prostate gland.

Written by:
Shinmoto H, Tamura C, Soga S, Shiomi E, Yoshihara N, Kaji T, Mulkern RV.   Are you the author?
Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.

Reference: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2012 Oct;199(4):W496-500.
doi: 10.2214/AJR.11.8347


PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22997399

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