Added Value of Diffusion Weighted MRI to Conventional MRI in the Assessment of Cervical Cancer Post Therapy

Abstract

This study included forty-eight patients (48 patients), 34 patients had 2 examinations for initial and post treatment MRI assessment and 14 patients had only post treatment MRI assessment. 21 patients had Concurrent Chemo Radio Therapy (CCRTH), 20 patients had Concurrent Chemo Radio Therapy (CCRTH) & surgery, 6 patients had radiotherapy alone and only 1 patient had surgery alone. Of the 48 cases, 32 patients were proven histologically, by follow up or by clinical correlation to have post-treatment malignant uterine cervix carcinoma and 16 patients had benign post treatment changes (inflammation/fibrosis). We aimed at evaluation of the added value of DWI with ADC mapping to conventional MRI and contrast enhanced MRI in the detection of post-treatment residual/ recurrent masses in uterine cervical carcinoma in addition to detect the post-treatment sequalae and complications. Both of the conventional MRI and CE MRI had low specificity (87.5%) with a high false-positive rate that may