The diagnostic value of diffusion weighted MR imaging in thyroid nodular lesions

Abstract

Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted MR Imaging (DWI) in benign and malignant thyroid lesions. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 100 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules who underwent DWI of the thyroid gland. Diffusion-weighted MR images were acquired with b factors of 800 s/mm² by using spin echo echo-planar imaging DWI (SE EPI). ADC maps were reconstructed. The ADC values of the thyroid nodules were calculated and correlated with the results of histopathologic examination. The mean ADCs were compared between malignant and benign nodules. The threshold of ADC value for identifying malignant nodules was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The data was analyzed with SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: In all patients, one hundred and fifty-five nodules were detected by MR imaging. Sixty-seven nodules were in left lobe, eighty in right lobe and the remaining 8 nodules in isthmus of thyroid gland. Among them nodular goiter were found in 87 cases, papillary carcinoma in 55 cases, follicular adenoma in 4 cases and follicular carcinoma in 3 cases. The mean ADCs of malignant nodules were significantly lower than that of benign lesions (1.295±0.281×10-3mm²/s) vs (2.033±0.387×10^-3 mm²/s). The sensitivity and specificity of the ADCs for identifying malignant nodules using a threshold of 1.550×10^-3mm²/s was 93.4% and 82.8% , respectively. CONCLUSION: The ADC value as measured tool by MR DWI is an effective parameter for distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules.

Key words: Diffusion weighted imaging, Nodular thyroid lesions, Apparent diffusion coefficient value

CLC Number:

R736.1

WANG Hao, SONG Bin, ZHANG Bei, WEI Ran, DING Yi, WANG Pei-jun. The diagnostic value of diffusion weighted MR imaging in thyroid nodular lesions[J]. China Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2014, 12(4): 344-350.

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