ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the characteristics of multi-b-value diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of the normal cervical, cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN Ⅲ),and to assess the value of DWI in diagnosis and pathological staging for cervical cancer.Methods There were 54 patients with pathologically confirmed cervical cancer,including 36 squamous cell carcinoma,15 adenomatous carcinoma, and 3 neuroendocrine carcinoma.And other 9 patients with CIN Ⅲ were involved in the study.All patients underwent conventional MR scan with multi-b-value DWI sequence.The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of multi-b-value DWI were compared between normal cervical tissue and cervical cancer with its different pathology subtypes.Results The three normal structure of uterine cervix, including cervical endometrial, junctional zone and myometrium, can be clearly distinguished by different b-value DWI, with a statistical difference of ADC value (P<0.05).Further analysis showed that the average ADC values between normal cervix and cervical cancer had a statistical difference (P<0.05).The similar situation was presented among squamous cell carcinoma, adenomatous carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma and CIN Ⅲ(P<0.05).Conclusion The ADC values of multi-b-value DWI could be helpful to diagnose cervical cancer and CIN Ⅲ,and it is correlated with the pathological type of cervical cancer.The application of multi-b-value DWI to cervical cancer and CIN Ⅲ could increase the accuracy of diagnosis.