Diagnostic Value of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Differentiating Benign and Malignant Focal Liver Lesions

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating benign and malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs). Methods:This study was conducted retrospectively on 87 patients who underwent liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between March 2018 and March 2019.MRI of the patients was performed using a 1.5 Tesla Philips Intera MRI scanner.All ADC values of the lesions were measured using Radiant DICOM viewer software.The chi-square test, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used for statistical analysis.The statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results:The patients included in the study were between 19 to 81 years of age, with a mean age of 52.6 (14) years.While 51.7% (n=45) of the patients were female, 48.3% (n=42) were male.Benign lesions were detected in 54% (n=47) of the patients, while malignant lesions were found in 46% (n=40).The mean ADC values of malignant lesions were measured as (0.950.37)10 -3 mm 2 /s, and the mean ADC values of benign lesions were (1.910.48)10 - mm 2 /s, with a statistically significant difference between them (p<0.001).No statistically significant difference was found between the mean ADC values of hepatocellular carcinomas and metastases (p=0.093).The mean ADC value of focal nodular hyperplasias was calculated to be (1.240.0.16)10 -3 mm/s, and the mean ADC value of hemangiomas was (1.960.0.46)10 -3 mm/s, with a statistically significant difference between them (p=0.012).The optimal threshold value of ADC in distinguishing malignant lesions from benign ones was determined as 1.3310 -3 mm 2 /s, with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 90% (area under the curve=0.9590.019,p<0.001). Conclusion:ADC measurements, being an easily applicable and reproducible method, can effectively contribute to differentiating between benign and malignant liver lesions.