Neuroimaging clinics of North America
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Diffusion-weighted imaging of the musculoskeletal system including the spine is a new MR imaging method. Several studies have shown significantly different diffusivities for various pathologic conditions such as edema and tumor. The specificity of diagnosis may be increased and therapeutic effects may be monitored. ⋯ In general, those patients do not pose problems in differential diagnosis. New sequence developments and higher magnetic field gradients should be able to increase spatial resolution and decrease problems from motion artifacts. Studies with larger patient groups and sequences that quantify the results with ADCs are the necessary next steps.
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Diffusion-weighted imaging is of limited value in the MR imaging diagnosis of various tumor pathologies, except in differentiating between dermoids/epidermoids and arachnoid cysts. Diffusion tractography, on the other hand, allows accurate depiction of important white-matter tracts adjacent to brain tumors. This technique uses data derived from diffusion tensor imaging.