ROLE OF DIFFUSION WEIGHTED MRI IN IMAGING OF PANCREATIC MASSES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Radiologydepartment, AinShamsUniversity, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Back ground: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the five-year
survival rate is less than 5%. Therefore, it seems to remain one of the greatest challenges in the fight against cancer in the 21st century. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a well-established role in the evaluation of patients with pancreatic masses. The implementation of ultrafast imaging techniques made DWI of the upper abdomen a feasible option and many studies indicate that DWI is promising in pancreatic imaging. Aim of the work: To evaluate the role of diffusion weighed MRI in the assessment of different pancreatic masses. Patients &Methods: This study included twenty two cases
presented with pathological and or radiological evident pancreatic lesions. Results: Of the 22 subjects, 9 out of 10 malignant lesions were correctly classified as malignant (TP) &11 out of the 12 benign lesions were correctly classified as benign (TN). A sensitivity of 90 % was achieved, with a specificity of 91.7 %. The Positive predictive value was 90 %, while the negative predictive value was 91.7%. Conclusion: Diffusion weighted MRI is a useful tool in evaluating different pancreatic lesions and provides helpful information for the detection and characterization of a wide variety of pancreatic neoplasms, including both solid and cystic lesions.

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