Evaluation of non-monoexponential diffusion models for hepatocellular carcinoma using b values up to 2000 s/mm : A short-term repeatability study.

Background: Non-monoexponential diffusion models are being used increasingly for the characterization and curative effect evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But the fitting quality of the models and the repeatability of their parameters have not been assessed for HCC.

Purpose: To evaluate kurtosis, stretched exponential, and statistical models for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of HCC, using b-values up to 2000 s/mm , in terms of fitting quality and repeatability.

Determination of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Characterization of Hepatic Focal Lesions with Adaptive Multi-Exponential Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Model.

Purpose: To distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other types of hepatic lesions with the adaptive multi-exponential IVIM model.

Methods: 94 hepatic focal lesions, including 38 HCC, 16 metastasis, 12 focal nodular hyperplasia, 13 cholangiocarcinoma, and 15 hemangioma, were examined in this study. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired with 13 b values (b = 0, 3, …, 500 s/mm) to measure the adaptive multi-exponential IVIM parameters, namely, pure diffusion coefficient (D), diffusion fraction (f), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*) and perfusion-related diffusion fraction (f) of the ith perfusion component.