Monoexponential, biexponential, and stretched exponential diffusion‐weighted imaging models: Quantitative biomarkers for differentiating renal clear cell carcinoma and minimal fat angiomyolipoma

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging 2017-07, Vol.46 (1), p.240-247
• Main Authors: Li, Haojie, Liang, Lili, Li, Anqin, Hu, Yao, Hu, Daoyu, Li, Zhen, Kamel, Ihab R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Algorithms; Angiomyolipoma; Angiomyolipoma - diagnostic imaging; Angiomyolipoma - pathology; Biomarkers; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - pathology; clear cell renal cell carcinoma; Clear cell-type renal cell carcinoma; Computer Simulation; Correlation analysis; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Diagnosis, Differential; Differentiation; Diffusion coefficient; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; diffusion‐weighted imaging; exponential models; Female; Heterogeneity; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Kidney cancer; Kidney Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Kidney Neoplasms - pathology; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Mathematical models; Middle Aged; Models, Biological; Models, Statistical; Molecular diffusion; Motion; Perfusion; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25524

Purpose To determine the utility of various diffusion parameters obtained from monoexponential, biexponential, and stretched exponential diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) models in differentiating between minimal fat angiomyolipoma (MFAML) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Materials and Methods One hundred thirty‐one patients with pathologically confirmed MFAML (n = 27) or ccRCC (n = 104) underwent multi‐b value DWI (0∼1700 s/mm2) imaging at 3.0 Tesla MRI. An isotropic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated from diffusion‐weighted images by using a monoexponential model. A pseudo‐ADC (Dp), true ADC (Dt), and perfusion fraction (fp) were calculated from diffusion‐weighted images by using a biexponential model. A water molecular diffusion heterogeneity index (α) and distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC) were calculated from diffusion‐weighted images by using a stretched exponential model. All parameters were compared between MFAML and ccRCC by using the Student's t test. Receiver operating characteristic and intraclass correlation coefficient analysis were used for statistical evaluations. Results ADC, Dt, and α values were significantly lower in the MFAML group than in the ccRCC group (P