Diffusion effect of malignant tumor in cervix observed by 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging

AIM: To investigate the diffusion effect of malignant tumor in cervix by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).METHODS: Routine MRI sequences and axial diffusion weighted sequences were performed in the cases of cervical cancer and endometrial carcinoma. Normal cervixes and endometria were served as controls. The ADC values of cervical cancer and normal cervix, endometrial carcinoma and normal endometrium were measured and analyzed respectively.RESULTS: (1)The ADC values in 37 cases of cervical cancer and normal cervix of 16 volunteers were (0.92±0.20)×10-3 mm2/s and (1.26±0.24)×10-3 mm2/s respectively, with statistically significant difference between cervical cancers and normal cervixes (P<0.01). (2)The ADC values in 14 cases of endometrial carcinoma and normal endometrium of 14 volunteers were (0.87±0.17)×10-3 mm2/s and (1.34±0.26)×10-3 mm2/s respectively, with statistically significant difference between endometrial carcinoma and normal endometria (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The diffusion effects of cervical cancer and endometrial carcinoma were different from those of normal cervical tissues. The DWI of 3.0T MRI may be used to quantitatively determine the limitation of diffusion effect in the malignant tumor in cervix by measuring the ADC value.