The Application of MR Diffusion-weighted Imaging in Discriminating Benign and Malignant Vertebral Fractures / 实用放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the value in distinguishing benign and malignant vertebral fractures with MR diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI).Methods 31 patients with 58 vertebral fractures were underwent routine MRI scanning and echo-planar DWI(EPI/DWI).The materials were divided into benign group(n=32,20 cases),malignant group(n=18,8cases),tuberculosis group(n=8,3cases) and normal vertebral body group(n=31). Signal intensities on DWI were compared and apparent diffusion coeffient(ADC) values of normal and abnormal vertebral bodies were calculated. ADC values among the benign,malignant,tuberculosis vertebral bodies and normal ones were quantitatively analyzed and compared.Results The ADC values of benign,malingnant,tuberculosis and normal vertebral bodies were (1.44?0.41)?10 -3 mm2/s,(0.94?0.17)?10 -3 mm2/s,(0.98?0.13)?10 -3 mm2/s and(0.42?0.16)?10 -3 mm2/s ,respectively. The ADC values of the three abnormal groups were higher than normal group ( all P0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of ADC for the diagnosis of malignant lesion were 72.2% and 90.6% if the upper bound of 95% confidence interval was set as a differential level.Conclusion DWI provides an important supplement to the routine MRI in the differentiation of benign with malignant vertebral fractures.