Diffusion-weighted MRI findings of treated and untreated retroperitoneal fibrosis

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings in patients with treated and untreated retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF).METHODSWe analyzed magnetic resonance imaging examinations of 44 RPF patients (36 male, 8 female), of which 15 were untreated and 29 were under therapy. Qualita...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lars Kamper, Alexander Sascha Brandt, Hendrik Ekamp, Nadine Abanador-Kamper, Werner Piroth, Stephan Roth, Patrick Haage
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Galenos Publishing House 2014-11-01
Series:Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
Online Access: http://www.dirjournal.org/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/diffusion-weighted-mr-findings-of-treated-and-untr/55395
Description
Summary:PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings in patients with treated and untreated retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF).METHODSWe analyzed magnetic resonance imaging examinations of 44 RPF patients (36 male, 8 female), of which 15 were untreated and 29 were under therapy. Qualitative DWI and T1 postcontrast signal intensities and the largest perivascular extent of RPF were compared between treated and untreated groups and correlated to erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values. Quantitative DWI signal intensities and apparent-diffusion-coefficients were calculated in regions-of-interest, together with a relative index between signal intensities of RPF and psoas muscle in 15 untreated patients and 14 patients under treatment with remaining perivascular fibrosis of more than 5 mm.RESULTSThe extent of RPF in untreated patients was significantly larger compared with the extent of RPF in treated patients (P < 0.0001). DWI signal intensities were significantly higher in untreated patients than in patients under therapy (mean, 27 s/mm2 vs. 20 s/mm2; P = 0.009). The calculated DWI-index was significantly higher in untreated patients than in patients under therapy (P = 0.003).CONCLUSIONOur data show significant differences in the DWI findings (b800 signal intensities and relative DWI-index) of patients with treated and untreated RPF. DWI is a promising technique in the assessment of disease activity and the selection of patients suitable for medical therapy.
ISSN:1305-3825
1305-3612