RESUMEN
Objective To assess the non-invasive and quantitative value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)in the diagnosis,differ-ential diagnosis and classification of renal occupying lesions.Methods 30 healthy volunteers and 126 suspected cases with renal space-occupying lesions underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)and DTI scans.A total of 144 lesions were found in 126 patients.DTI was performed in 6 directions with b values of 0 and 500 s/mm2 .Fractional anisotropy (FA)and appar-ent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values were measured.Results With b values at 500 s/mm2 ,FA and ADC values between the nor-mal renal cortex and medulla in renal carcinoma,renal angiomyolipomas,renal cysts were pairwisely compared and there were all statistical difference (P <0.05).Difference of FA and ADC values between clear renal cell carcinoma and non-clear cell carcinoma was also significant (P <0.05).Conclusion FA and ADC values could distinguish benign from malignant renal tumour which may be helpful in the speculation of renal carcinoma pathological types.