Role of the apparent diffusion coefficient measurement by diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica in the liver

• Published in: Japanese journal of radiology 2011-12, Vol.29 (10), p.688-694
• Main Authors: Onur, Mehmet Ruhi, Ciçekçi, Mehtap, Kayali, Alperen, Kocakoç, Ercan, Aygün, Cem
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Animals; Diagnosis, Differential; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Fasciola hepatica - parasitology; Fascioliasis - parasitology; Fascioliasis - pathology; Female; Humans; Imaging; Liver - parasitology; Liver - pathology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nuclear Medicine; Observer Variation; Original Article; Radiology; Radiotherapy; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1867-1071; 1867-108X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11604-011-0614-6

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement in the diagnosis of focal parenchymal lesions and to understand the discriminating role of the ADC value for differentiating Fasciola lesions from other focal liver lesions. Materials and methods We measured ADC values of parenchymal lesions and liver parenchyma in 18 patients with Fasciola hepatica infestation at b 100, b 600, and b 1000 s/mm 2 gradients. We further measured average ADC values of hepatic metastases ( n = 21), hepatocellular carcinomas ( n = 21), cholangiocarcinomas ( n = 7), hydatid cysts ( n = 12), and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) ( n = 12) and compared them with average ADC values for Fasciola hepatica . Results The differences between average ADC values of lesions (2.16 ± 0.36 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s) and parenchyma (1.64 ± 0.2 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s) at three gradients were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Mean ADC values of Fasciola hepatica lesions were significantly different from most of the other focal hepatic lesions, except FNH at all gradients and hydatid cyst at only the b 100 gradient. Conclusion ADC measurement may be a complementary method in the diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica , and it may be used to differentiate these lesions from other focal liver lesions.