Sara Savelli MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Antonio Ciccarone MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Marco Esposito, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Marco Di Maurizio MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Marzia Mortilla MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Claudio Fonda MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the variability of hepatic diffusion and perfusion parameters and ADC at b=500 and 1000 in a group of healthy paediatric patients.

From May 2009 15 consecutive pediatric healthy patients without liver diseases scheduled for a liver MR examination were enrolled in our study. All the patients underwent liver MRI with diffusion weighted images with thirteen b values. DWI sequence has been validate on a phantom. Hepatic diffusion and perfusion coefficients and fraction of perfusion were obtained by fitting a bi-exponential model on a ROI basis. In each ROI we computed D, f, F and ADC at b500 and b1000.

In the whole liver, the statistical distributions of D and f are symmetrical while F is highly non symmetrical. The mean values and standard deviations in the group of healthy patients are respectively 916x10-6mm2/s and 95x10-6mm2/s for D, 0.25 and 0.06 for f, 82000x10-6mm2/s and 44000x10-6mm2/s for D*, 1528x10-6mm2/s and 246x10-6mm2/s for ADC@b500, 1061x10-6mm2/s and 138x10-6mm2/s for ADC@1200.

The D parameter exhibits the best reproducibility and has the shortest standard deviation in this pediatric population thus suggesting a promising use of D in the evaluation of liver diffusivity.

Few evidence of measurement of liver diffusion has been reported in pediatric patients. we evaluate liver diffusion parameters in children to establish the most reproducible and reliable one

Savelli, S, Ciccarone, A, Esposito, M, Di Maurizio, M, Mortilla, M, Fonda, C, Evaluation of Hepatic Diffusion and Perfusion Values in Children by Means of Multi-b Diffusion-weighted Acquisitions.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11034655.html