Value of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in assessment of adnexal lesions

Abstract

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in the characterization and diagnosis of ovarian lesions. Results From October 2015 to October 2017, a total of 57 female patients (65 adnexal lesions; 8 cases were bilateral) were included. The examined lesions were classified according to their histopathological findings, (37 (57%) benign lesions, 4 (6%) borderline lesions, and 24 (37%) malignant lesions). The mean choline/creatinine (CHO/Cr) ratio was 1.29 ± 0.98 SD for malignant lesions, while the mean value in borderline lesions was 0.63 ± 0.15 SD, and the mean value for the benign lesions was 0.65 ± 0.34. Therefore, the mean CHO/Cr ratio was much higher in malignant than in benign lesions, which was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.001) as well as between the borderline and invasive lesions (P = 0.05), but not between the benign and borderline lesions. The diagnostic performance of conventional MRI in diagnosing adnexal lesions was 100%, specificity was 76%, and accuracy was 86%. However, MRS individual diagnostic performances are the following: sensitivity 89%, specificity, and 100% with an accuracy of 95%. Conclusion MRS proved to be an accurate and efficient method for the analysis of adnexal lesions and in differentiation between benign and malignant tumors.