WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Hussein Ketab Rhaif, Shaymaa Hashim Mohammed, 3Zeid Hamed Abbas Al-Marib

ABSTRACT

Background: Objective: to evaluate the role of diffusion weighted imaging in differentiating the cause of ring enhancing brain lesions. Method: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) was performed on 22 post-contrast brain MRI patients with ring-enhancing lesions. Diffusion restriction classified these lesions as malignant and abscess cavities. In the tumor group, primary tumors were diagnosed by histopathology obtained by surgery, but metastasis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and radiological findings and had pathologically proven primary tumors. DWI sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. T-tests compared mean ADC values of abscess and neoplastic lesions. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of DWI was 90.91 percent, with a sensitivity of 85.71 percent, specificity of 93.33 percent, positive predictive value of 85.71 percent, negative predictive value of 93.33 percent, and a sensitivity of 85.71 percent in distinguishing brain abscess from neoplastic brain lesions. The mean ADC value in the central cavity and wall of neoplastic lesions and brain abscesses was determined. Conclusion: Diffusion weighted imaging is a non-invasive method with high sensitivity and specificity which can help in differentiation of ring enhancing neoplastic lesions and brain abscesses. This modality should be read in conjunction with conventional imaging.

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