The diagnostic value of MR-DWI in patients with breast cancer complicated by axillary lymph node metastasis
Abstract：Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging ( DW-MRI) in assessing tumor metastases in axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) of patients with breast cancer. Methods A total of 60 axillary lymph nodes from 40 female patients with breast cancer who were histopathologically confirmed by MRI. DWI was implemented at b values of 0,500 and 800s/mm2were enrolled in the study,who underwent DW-MRI examination at b-values of 0.500 and 800s/mm2. the short axis diameter and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were compared between metastatic ALNs and non-metastatic ALNs. Moreover the ADC threshold was got by drawing ROC curve to distinguish metastatic ALNs from non-metastatic ALNs. Results Among axillary lymph nodes,there were 28 cases (46% ) of metastatic ALNs and 32 cases (54% ) of non metastatic ALNs. The metastatic lymph nodes presented mainly hyperintensity on DWI (b=800s/mm2) images. There was no siggnificant difference in the diameter of short axis between metastatic ALNs and non-metastatic ALNs (P>0. 05). However the ADC value of metastatic ALNs was significantly lower than that of non-metastatic ALNs (P<0. 05). The optimal ADC cut-off value in differential diagnosis between metastatic ALNs and non-metastatic ALNs was 0. 914×10 -3mm2/s,and accuracy,sensitivity and specificity were 91. 9% , 87% , 88. 7% , respectively. Conclusion DWI-MRI and ADC values have higher sensitivity,specificity and accuracy in assessing metastatic ALNs of patients with breast cancer, which is a safe,non-invasive,rapid imaging method.
Keywords：magnetic resonance imagingdiffusion weighted imagingbreast canceraxillary lymph node
Publication Date：2018-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 2127-2130 )