Evaluation of hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma using diffusion-weighted reordered turboFLASH magnetic resonance images

Purpose: To determine whether the centric reordered snapshot fast low-angle shot (reordered turboFLASH) magnetic resonance (MR) images with no, low, and high motion-probing gradients (MPGs) were useful to evaluate hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma. Materials and Methods: The measured diffusion coefficient (D), deviation factor (f), and apparent diffusion coefficient for flowing spin (D*) values for 92 hepatic lesions (33 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 17 metastases, 27 hemangiomas, and 15 cysts) and the nonlesion-bearing regions of parenchyma in 74 livers (46 noncirrhotic and 28 cirrhotic) were approximately calculated from the reordered turboFLASH images (modified for diffusion sensitivities of b = 0, 50.2, and 295 seconds/mm(2)). Results: These groups, listed in order of decreasing D* and f values, were cysts, noncirrhotic livers. cirrhotic livers, hemangiomas, metastases, and HCCs. The order on the basis of D values was cysts, hemangiomas, metastases, HCCs, cirrhotic livers, and noncirrhotic livers, Noncirrhotic Livers showed higher D* and f values, and lower D values than HCCs and metastases (P < 0.04). Conclusion: The D* and f values, in addition to the D value, may be useful for evaluating the nature of diffusion and flowing spins in hepatic lesions and hepatic parenchyma. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.