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Intravoxel incoherent motion model-based liver lesion characterisation from three b-value diffusion-weighted MRI

European Radiology volume 23, pages 2773–2783 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model-based liver lesion characterisation from three b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Methods

The 1.5-T DWI data from a respiratory gated spin-echo echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging sequence (b = 0, 50, 800 s/mm2) were retrospectively analysed in 38 patients with different liver lesions. Conventional apparent diffusion coefficient ADC = ADC(0,800) as well as IVIM-based parameters D′ = ADC(50,800), ADC_low = ADC(0,50), and f′ were calculated voxel-wise. Sixty-one regions of interest in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs, n = 24), haemangiomas (HEMs, n = 11), focal nodular hyperplasias (FNHs, n = 11), and healthy liver tissue (REFs, n = 15) were analysed. Group differences were investigated using Student’s t-test and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

Mean values ± standard deviations of ADC, D′, ADC_low (in 10-5 mm2/s), and f′ (in %) for REFs/FNHs/HEMs/HCCs were 130 ± 11/143 ± 27/168 ± 16/113 ± 25, 104 ± 12/123 ± 25/162 ± 18/102 ± 23, 518 ± 66/437 ± 97/268 ± 69/283 ± 120, and 18 ± 3/14 ± 4/6 ± 3/9 ± 5, respectively. Differences between lesions and REFs were more significant for IVIM-based parameters than for conventional ADC. ROC analysis showed the best discriminability between HCCs and FNHs for ADC_low and f′ and between HEMs and FNHs or HCCs for D′.

Conclusion

Three instead of two b-value DWI enables a numerically stable and voxel-wise IVIM-based analysis for improved liver lesion characterisation with tolerable acquisition time.

Key Points

• Quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted MRI helps liver lesion characterisation.

• Analysis of intravoxel incoherent motion is superior to apparent diffusion coefficient determination.

• Only three b-values enable separation of diffusion and microcirculation effects.

• The method presented is numerically stable, with voxel-wise results and short acquisition times.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    A.-H. Penner, A. M. Sprinkart, G. M. Kukuk, J. Gieseke, H. H. Schild, W. A. Willinek & P. Mürtz

  2. Institute of Medical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    A. M. Sprinkart

  3. Department of Pathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    I. Gütgemann

  4. Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands

    J. Gieseke

  5. Radiologische Klinik der Universität Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany

    P. Mürtz

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Penner, AH., Sprinkart, A.M., Kukuk, G.M. et al. Intravoxel incoherent motion model-based liver lesion characterisation from three b-value diffusion-weighted MRI. Eur Radiol 23, 2773–2783 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-2869-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-2869-z

Keywords

  • Liver lesion characterisation
  • IVIM
  • Diffusion
  • Perfusion
  • MRI