The invasion status of lymphovascular space and lymph nodes in cervical cancer assessed by mono-exponential and bi-exponential DWI-related parameters
To investigate whether mono-exponential and bi-exponential diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-related parameters of the primary tumour can evaluate the status of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with cervical carcinoma preoperatively. Eighty patients with cervical carcinoma were enrolled, who underwent preoperative multi b-value DWI and radical hysterectomy. They were classified into LVSI(+) versus LVSI(-) and LNM(+) versus LNM(-) according to postoperative pathology. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure molecular diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D∗), and perfusion fraction (f) were calculated from the whole tumour (_ f_ The parameters generated from mono-exponential and bi-exponential DWI of the primary cervical carcinoma could help discriminate its status regarding LVSI (f_