A feasibility study of reduced full-of-view synthetic high-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging in uterine tumors

Abstract

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of reduced full-of-view synthetic high-b value diffusion-weighted images (rFOV-syDWIs) in the clinical application of cervical cancer based on image quality and diagnostic efficacy. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the data of 35 patients with cervical cancer and 35 healthy volunteers from May to November 2021. All patients and volunteers underwent rFOV-DWI scans, including a 13b-protocol: b = 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500 s/mm2 and a 5b-protocol: b = 0, 100, 400, 800,1500 s/mm2. rFOV-syDWIs with b values of 1200 (rFOV-syDWIb=1200) and 1500 (rFOV-syDWIb=1500) were generated from two different multiple-b-value image datasets using a mono-exponential fitting algorithm. According to homoscedasticity and normality assessed by the Levene’s test and Shapiro–Wilk test, the inter-modality differences of quantitative measurements were, respectively, examined by Wilcoxon signed-rank test or paired t test and the inter-group differences of ADC values were examined by independent t test or Mann–Whitney U test. Results A higher inter-reader agreement between SNRs and CNRs was found in 13b-protocol and 5b-protocol rFOV-syDWIb=1200/1500 compared to 13b-protocol rFOV-sDWIb=1200/1500 (p < 0.05). AUC of 5b-protocol syADCmean,b=1200/1500 and syADCminimum,b=1200/1500 was equal or higher than that of 13b-protocol sADCmean,b=1200/1500 and sADCminimum,b=1200/1500. Conclusions rFOV-syDWIs provide better lesion clarity and higher image quality than rFOV-sDWIs. 5b-protocol rFOV-syDWIs shorten scan time, and synthetic ADCs offer reliable diagnosis value as scanned 13b-protocol DWIs.