Xinyue Yang1, Yan Chen1, Ziqiang Wen1, Baolan Lu1, Bingqi Shen1, Xiaojuan Xiao2, Shenping Yu1. 1. 1 Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Second Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510080. 2. 2 Department of Radiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to discriminate metastatic from nonmetastatic regional lymph nodes (LNs) with short-axis diameters of less than 5 mm in rectal cancer using quantitative parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five LNs from 122 patients were evaluated, including malignant LNs (n = 27) and benign LNs (n = 38). The following parameters were assessed: the forward volume transfer constant (Ktrans), reverse volume transfer constant (kep), fractional extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve), short-axis diameter, long-axis diameter, and short- to long-axis diameter ratio. ROC curves were used to analyze statistically significant parameters. RESULTS: Metastatic LNs exhibited a lower Ktrans than did nonmetastatic LNs (p < 0.001), but the other parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. The AUC of the Ktrans was 0.732, with a 95% CI of 0.610-0.854, and the diagnostic cutoff value was 0.088 min-1 (sensitivity, 60.5%; specificity, 81.5%). CONCLUSION: Ktrans had moderate diagnostic performance in assessing small regional LNs in rectal cancer and appears to be a useful predictor when distinguishing malignant LNs from benign LNs only by morphology is difficult.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to discriminate metastatic from nonmetastatic regional lymph nodes (LNs) with short-axis diameters of less than 5 mm in rectal cancer using quantitative parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five LNs from 122 patients were evaluated, including malignant LNs (n = 27) and benign LNs (n = 38). The following parameters were assessed: the forward volume transfer constant (Ktrans), reverse volume transfer constant (kep), fractional extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve), short-axis diameter, long-axis diameter, and short- to long-axis diameter ratio. ROC curves were used to analyze statistically significant parameters. RESULTS: Metastatic LNs exhibited a lower Ktrans than did nonmetastatic LNs (p < 0.001), but the other parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. The AUC of the Ktrans was 0.732, with a 95% CI of 0.610-0.854, and the diagnostic cutoff value was 0.088 min-1 (sensitivity, 60.5%; specificity, 81.5%). CONCLUSION: Ktrans had moderate diagnostic performance in assessing small regional LNs in rectal cancer and appears to be a useful predictor when distinguishing malignant LNs from benign LNs only by morphology is difficult.
Entities:
Keywords:
MRI; lymph node; perfusion; pharmacokinetics; rectal cancer