Diagnostic Value of Diffusion-Weighted - MRI in the Characterization of Vaginal Masses

Background: Carcinoma of the vagina is relatively one of the rare gynecological malignancies. It is considered a predom-inant disease of post-menopausal women. Secondary vaginal cancers are much more common. It can be either due to direct extension from adjacent organs or from distant metastasis. Pel-vic examination is the primary evaluation method, yet it has many limitations. Hence cross-sectional imaging is recom-mended for the delineation of tumor extension that eventually will affect the management of the disease. Aim of Study: This study aimed to evaluate the role of con-ventional MRI, contrast-enhanced MRI (CE MRI), and diffu-sion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the characterization of vaginal masses. Patients and Methods: Twenty female patients were en-rolled in the current study. They presented with vaginal masses that needed further MRI examination for characterization and diagnosis. Results: This study showed that DWI was higher in spec-ificity and sensitivity in the differentiation between malignant and benign vaginal masses. Conclusions: Pelvic MRI examination is considered a very effective imaging tool for local assessment of vaginal lesions to show extensions and nodal metastasis moreover, in conditions where contrast media is contraindicated, DWI can help in the differentiation between malignant and benign vaginal masses.