To explore the value of quantitative ADC in the identification and diagnosis of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis and
tuberculoma.
Materials and methods
Patients admitted to our hospital from 2010 to 2014 with diagnosis of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis and tuberculoma underwent 3.0T superconduction MRI including whole brain routine MR plain scanning, enhanced scanning and DWI examination. The b-value for the DWI gradient sensitive factor is taken as 1000 s/mm2. The apparent diffusion coefficient in the lesion solid area, the area around the edema and the brain normal solid area on the corresponding opposite location (control area) were measured respectively. The SPSS17.0 software was used for statistics, and changes in the ADC values in the both pathologic lesion solid area and the area around the edema area were analyzed.
Results
The median and inter quartile range (IQR) of the ADC values of solid area of the cerebral alveolar echinococcosis and the brain tuberculoma lesion were: 1.08 × 10−3 mm2/s (1.03–1.13), 1.28 × 10−3 mm2/s (1.19–1.34), there was the significant difference between the average ADC values of the solid area of both diseases (t′−5.435, P < 0.0); The median and IQR of edema area of the ADC values of the cerebral alveolar echinococcosis and the brain tuberculoma lesion were: 1.08 × 10−3 mm2/s (0.99–1.19),1.39 × 10−3 mm2/s (1.23–1.49), there were the significant difference between average ADC difference around the edema area of both diseases (t′−6.191, p < 0.05); No statistical significance was shown when the ADC value of the edema area of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis was compared to the ADC value of the solid area (p > 0.05). The ADC values of solid area and the area around the edema of the brain tuberculoma were higher than that of the corresponding area of the cerebral alveolar echinococcosis. Conclusions: DWI combined with conventional MRI might be applied to provide valuable information for the diagnosis of the cerebral alveolar echinococcosis and the brain tuberculoma.
