ADC measurements in the evaluation of lymph nodes in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: feasibility study

Object To determine whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements allow discrimination of normal lymph nodes from lymphomatous lymph nodes, and indolent lymphomas from aggressive lymphomas in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Materials and methods Eighteen healthy volunteers and thirty-two patients with newly diagnosed NHL (indolent: n = 16; aggressive: n = 16) underwent diffusion-weighted imaging. ADCs of normal lymph nodes were compared to those of lymphomatous lymph nodes, and ADCs of indolent lymphomas were compared to those of aggressive lymphomas. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed when ADCs were significantly different between two of the aforementioned groups. Results ADCs (in 10 −3 mm 2 / s ) of lymphomatous lymph nodes (0.70 ± 0.22) were significantly lower ( P