ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the value of magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging(DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficients(ADC) values of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE) in children.Methods 20 cases of children(≤14 years) with HAE were collected in this restrospective study.PNM staging was determined, the HAE peripheral area of DWI lesions with different P stages was observed, and the ADC value of the peripheral area was measured.The comparison of alveococcus lesions in different stages of DWI with continuous edge degree and ADC value difference was done to evaluate the growth activity.Results There were 5 cases of P1 lesions, 7 cases of P2 lesions, 2 cases of P3 lesions and 6 cases of P4 lesions.DWI features of peripheral area were as follows: High signal ring band between HAE lesion edge and adjacent normal hepatic parenchyma was observed.P1 lesions showed almost complete obviously high signal peripheral area, indicating the most active proliferation, P2 and P3 lesions of peripheral area were continuous and with high signal, and still had obvious growth activity.P4 lesions of peripheral area were not continuous, while the signal decreased, indicating the activity also decreased.The highest ADC value was detected in P1 lesions group of and the ADC value of P2 lesions group were lower than P1, and the ADC value of P4 lesions group were the lowest.P3 lesions samples were too small and thus no statistical analysis was done.Differences of ADC value between the three groups were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion DWI image features could be used to assesse the growth activity of HAE in children with different stages to a certain extent.ADC values measurement provides important reference value for evaluating the growth activity at various stages of the lesions.