Open AccessIntravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted MR imaging parameters predict pathological classification in thymic epithelial tumors
Author(s) -
Gangfeng Li,
Shijun Duan,
LinFeng Yan,
Wen Wang,
Yong Jing,
Yan Wang,
Qian Sun,
Shumei Wang,
Hai-Yan Nan,
Tianyong Xu,
Dandan Zheng,
Yu-Chuan Hu,
Guangbin Cui
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
oncotarget
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.373
H-Index - 127
ISSN - 1949-2553
DOI - 10.18632/oncotarget.17857
Subject(s) - intravoxel incoherent motion , medicine , effective diffusion coefficient , stage (stratigraphy) , nuclear medicine , diffusion mri , pathological , magnetic resonance imaging , perfusion , pathology , radiology , paleontology , biology
We evaluated the performance of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters for preoperatively predicting the subtype and Masaoka stage of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Seventy-seven patients with pathologically confirmed TETs underwent a diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence with 9 b values. Differences in the slow diffusion coefficient (D), fast perfusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) IVIM parameters, as well as the multi b-value fitted apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmb), were compared among patients with low-risk (LRT) and high-risk thymomas (HRT) and thymic carcinomas (TC), and between early stage (stages I and II) and advanced stage (stages III and IV) TET patients. ADCmb, D, and D* values were higher in the LRT group than in the HRT or TC group, but did not differ between the HRT and TC groups. The mean ADCmb, D, and D* values were higher in the early stage TETs group than the advanced stage TETs group. The f values did not differ among the groups. These results suggest that IVIM DWI could be used to preoperatively predict subtype and Masaoka stage in TET patients.