Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging: A molecular imaging tool caught between hope, hype and the real world of “personalized oncology”

Figure 4 Pre-therapy magnetic resonance imaging in 57-year-old patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. A: DCE MR of liver showed enhancing lesion in segment V, VI, VII and VIIII of the liver (long arrow-A) with enhancing portal vein thrombus (short white arrow-A). Diffusion weighted imaging revealed restricted diffusion in the hepatic lesion (long arrow-B) and the portal vein thrombus (short arrow-B) with reduced ADC values (B and C). Biopsy revealed hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus DWI helps in confirming the diagnosis of malignant portal vein thrombosis. ADC: Apparent diffusion coefficient; MR: Magnetic resonance; DWI: Diffusion-weighted imaging.