Diffusion-weighted MRI in a liver protocol: Its role in focal lesion detection

Table 1 Patients and lesions

Total number of patients	52
Age (yr)	55.6
Gender	30 females, 22 males
FLLs distribution
Patients with benign FLLs	35
Patients with hemangiomas	14
Patients with cysts	17
Patients with FNHs	9
Patients with malignant FLLs	20
Patients with metastases	12
Patients affected by breast cancer	1
Patients affected by colo-rectal cancer	9
Patients affected by melanoma	1
Patients affected by pancreatic cancrer	1
Patients with HCCs	8

Characteristics of the patients included in our study. The distribution of benign and malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs) among the patients is also reported, according to the different categories of lesions observed. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Table 2 Detection rate

	Tri-Gd T1	SSFP	fs-FSE	DWI	Consensus
All FLLs					277
Reader 1	266 (96)	161 (58)	187 (68)	234 (84)
Reader 2	256 (92)	185 (67)	185 (67)	222 (80)
Mean	261 (84)	186 (67)	186 (67)	228 (82)
Benignant					135
Reader 1	134 (99)	89 (66)	89 (66)	116 (86)
Reader 2	127 (94)	88 (65)	88 (65)	105 (78)
Mean	130.5 (97)	88.5 (66)	88.5 (66)	110.5 (82)
Malignant					142
Reader 1	132 (93)	99 (70)	99 (70)	118 (83)
Reader 2	129 (91)	97 (68)	97 (68)	114 (80)
Mean	130.5 (92)	98 (69)	98 (69)	116 (82)
Metastases					114
Reader 1	104 (91)	82 (72)	82 (72)	100 (88)
Reader 2	101 (89)	79 (69)	79 (69)	97 (85)
Mean	102.5 (90)	80.5 (71)	80.5 (71)	98.5 (86)
HCC					28
Reader 1	28 (100)	17 (60)	17 (60)	18 (64)
Reader 2	28 (100)	18 (64)	18 (64)	17 (60)
Mean	28 (100)	17.5 (62)	17.5 (62)	17.5 (62)

Detection rate observed by triphasic gadolinium-enhanced T1 sequences (Tri-Gd T1), steady-state free precession (SSFP), fat-suppressed fast spin-echo (fs-FSE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. The values are divided according to the different categories of lesions analyzed in the study. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; FLLs: Focal liver lesions.