The benefit of diffusion-weighted mr imaging for thyroid disease diagnosis and threatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) for assessing the thyroid function and confirm the clinical use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for thyroid diseases.Fifty patients with a variety of thyroid disorders (27 Graves disease, 23 Hashimoto thyroidits) and twenty healthy volunteers were examined using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance (DWMR) imaging and thyroid function tests.In normal thyroids, mean ADC values were 2,93 ± 0,37 x 10¯³, 1,97 ± 0,44 x 10¯³, 1,62 ± 0,35 x 10¯³ for b100, b600 and b1000, respectively. In Graves diseases mean ADC values were 3,47 ± 0,26 x 10¯³, 2,25 ± 0,43 x 10¯³ and 1,64 ± 0,43 x 10¯³ for b100, b600 and b1000, respectively. In Hashimoto diseases mean ADC values were 2,53 ± 0,47 x 10¯³, 1,76 ± 0,52 x 10¯³, 1,28 ± 0,29 x 10¯³ for b100, b600 and b1000, respectively.The ADC values obtained from the diffusion-weighted images of the patients with Graves diseases were significantly higher than those of patients with healty thyroid and Hashimoto thyroiditis, though no difference among those disorders was T1 and T2 weight images. The relationship between ADC and the serum free T3,or serum free T4 levels was not significantly correlated. Based on the ADC values, anisotropy was not observed in the thyroid gland.Diffusion-weighted MR images may be of values for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases and could be clinically important in the evaluation of thyroid function. DWMR is an important imaging modality that may be used in a short time for the differentiation of Hashimoto and Graves Disease.Key Words: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, Thyroid disease, ADC, Thyroid, Thyroid function tests.