AUTHOR=Hou Meidan , Huang Yanan , Yan Jinsong , Fan Guoguang 

TITLE=Quantitative Dixon and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion magnetic resonance imaging parameters in lumbar vertebrae for differentiating aplastic anemia and acute myeloid leukemia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1277978

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2023.1277978

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>We sought to evaluate the use of quantitative Dixon (Q-Dixon) and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion imaging (IVIM) for the differential diagnosis of aplastic anemia (AA) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Between August 2021 and October 2023, we enrolled 68 diagnosed patients, including 36 patients with AA and 32 patients with AML, as well as 26 normal controls. All patients underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging, which included IVIM and T2*-corrected Q-Dixon imaging at the L2–4 level. The iliac crest biopsy’s pathology was used as the diagnostic criterion. The interobserver measurement repeatability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). One-way analysis of variance, Spearman analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The fat fraction (FF) and perfusion fraction (f) values were statistically significantly different between the three groups (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 and <italic>p</italic> = 0.007). The FF and f values in the AA group were higher than those in the AML group. The true apparent diffusion coefficient (D) value was substantially negatively correlated to the FF and R2* values (r = −0.601, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001; r = −0.336, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002). The f value was positively correlated with both FF and pseudo-apparent diffusion coefficient (D*) values (r = 0.376, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001; r = 0.263, <italic>p</italic> = 0.017) and negatively correlated with the D value (r = −0.320, <italic>p</italic> = 0.003). The FF and f values were negatively correlated with the degree of myelodysplasia (r = −0.597, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001; r = −0.454, <italic>p</italic> = 0.004), and the D value was positively correlated with the degree of myelodysplasia (r = 0.395, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001). For the differential diagnosis of AA and AML, the Q-Dixon model’s sensitivity (93.75%) and specificity (84%) confirmed that it outperformed the IVIM model.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Q-Dixon parameters have the potential to be used as new biomarkers to differentiate AA from AML.</p></sec>