Improved Visualization and Staging of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Using Coronal Reduced Field-of-View Diffusion Weighted Imaging

Motivation: Conventional axial full-field-of-view (fFOV) DWI poorly demonstrates upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) due to its varying morphology and anatomical position. The additional coronal reduced field-of-view (rFOV) DWI may improve evaluation. Goal(s): The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic value and image quality of coronal rFOV DWI in the evaluation of UTUC. Approach: This study compared the image quality, tumor contrast, ADC value, and staging accuracy between coronal rFOV DWI and axial fFOV DWI in UTUC. Results: Coronal rFOV DWI provided better image quality and higher tumor contrast than fFOV DWI. It provided additional diagnostic value in the staging of UTUC. Impact: This study validates the clinical application of reduced field-of-view DWI in the assessment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. The use of this technique improves image quality and tumor conspicuity in the coronal plane, providing additional value for diagnosis and staging.