Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging in evaluating preoperative staging of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background The aim of this research is to prospectively investigate the diagnostic performance of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) using the integrated slice-specific dynamic shimming (iShim) technique in staging primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and predicting presence of lymph node metastases from ESCC. Methods Sixty-three patients with ESCC were prospectively enrolled from April 2016 to April 2019. MR and IVIM using iShim technique (b = 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800 s/mm2) were performed on 3.0T MRI system before operation. Primary tumour apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and IVIM parameters, including true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), pseudodiffusion fraction (f) were measured by two independent radiologists. The differences in D, D*, f and ADC values of different T and N stages were assessed. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to evaluate the interobserver agreement between two readers. The diagnostic performances of D, D*, f and ADC values in primary tumour staging and prediction of lymph node metastasis of ESCC were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The inter-observer consensus was excellent for IVIM parameters and ADC (D: ICC = 0.922; D*: ICC = 0.892; f: ICC = 0.948; ADC: ICC = 0.958). The ADC, D, D* and f values of group T1 + T2 were significantly higher than those of group T3 + T4a [ADC: (2.55 ± 0.43) ×10− 3 mm2/s vs. (2.27 ± 0.40) ×10− 3 mm2/s, t = 2.670, P = 0.010; D: (1.82 ± 0.39) ×10− 3 mm2/s vs. (1.53 ± 0.33) ×10− 3 mm2/s, t = 3.189, P = 0.002; D*: 46.45 (30.30,55.53) ×10− 3 mm2/s vs. 32.30 (18.60,40.95) ×10− 3 mm2/s, z=-2.408, P = 0.016; f: 0.45 ± 0.12 vs. 0.37 ± 0.12, t = 2.538, P = 0.014]. The ADC, D and f values of the lymph nodes-positive (N+) group were significantly lower than those of lymph nodes-negative (N0) group [ADC: (2.10 ± 0.33) ×10− 3 mm2/s vs. (2.55 ± 0.40) ×10− 3 mm2/s, t=-4.564, P