Elnur Aliyev, Kemal Niyazi Arda, Mustafa Koyun
Advanced Radiology and Imaging - 2025;2(1):8-13
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating benign and malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs). Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively on 87 patients who underwent liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI of the patients was performed using a 1.5 Tesla Philips Intera MRI scanner. All ADC values of the lesions were measured using Radiant DICOM viewer software. The chi-square test, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: The patients included in the study were between 19 to 81 years of age, with a mean age of 52.6 (+/-14) years. While 51.7% (n=45) of the patients were female, 48.3% (n=42) were male. Benign lesions were detected in 54% (n=47) of the patients, while malignant lesions were found in 46% (n=40). The mean ADC values of malignant lesions were measured as (0.95+/-0.37)x10-3 mm2/s, and the mean ADC values of benign lesions were (1.91+/-0.48)x10-3 mm2/s, with a statistically significant difference between them (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between the mean ADC values of hepatocellular carcinomas and metastases (p=0.093). The mean ADC value of focal nodular hyperplasias was calculated to be (1.24+/-0.16)x10-3 mm²/s, and the mean ADC value of hemangiomas was (1.96+/-0.46)x10-3 mm²/s, with a statistically significant difference between them (p=0.012). The optimal threshold value of ADC in distinguishing malignant lesions from benign ones was determined as 1.33x10-3 mm2/s, with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 90% (area under the curve=0.959+/-0.019, p<0.001). Conclusion: ADC measurements, being an easily applicable and reproducible method, can effectively contribute to differentiating between benign and malignant liver lesions.
