Diagnostic performance of conventional MRI parameters and apparent diffusion coefficient values in differentiating between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumours.

AIM: To compare the abilities of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating between benign and malignant soft-tissue tumours (STT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 123 patients with STT who underwent 3 T MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), were retrospectively analysed using variate conventional MRI parameters, ADCmean and ADCmin.

RESULTS: For the all-STT group, the correlation between the malignant STT conventional MRI parameters, except deep compartment involvement, compared to those of benign STT were statistically significant with univariate analysis. Maximum diameter of the tumour (p=0.001; odds ratio [OR], 8.97) and ADCmean (p=0.020; OR, 4.30) were independent factors with multivariate analysis. For the non-myxoid non-haemosiderin STT group, signal heterogeneity on axial T1-weighted imaging (T1WI; p=0.017), ADCmean, and ADCmin (p=0.001, p=0.001), showed significant differences with univariate analysis between malignancy and benignity. Signal heterogeneity in axial T1WI (p=0.025; OR, 12.64) and ADCmean (p=0.004; OR, 33.15) were independent factors with multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION: ADC values as well as conventional MRI parameters were useful in differentiating between benign and malignant STT. The ADCmean was the most powerful diagnostic parameter in non-myxoid non-haemosiderin STT.