Published online Dec 28, 2015. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v7.i12.424
Peer-review started: May 20, 2015
First decision: September 8, 2015
Revised: September 15, 2015
Accepted: November 13, 2015
Article in press: November 17, 2015
Published online: December 28, 2015
Processing time: 226 Days and 11 Hours
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and remains a treatment-refractory cancer with a poor prognosis. Currently, the diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasm depends mainly on imaging and which methods are conducive to detecting small lesions. Compared to the other techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has irreplaceable advantages and can provide valuable information unattainable with other noninvasive or minimally invasive imaging techniques. Advances in MR hardware and pulse sequence design have particularly improved the quality and robustness of MRI of the pancreas. Diffusion MR imaging serves as one of the common functional MRI techniques and is the only technique that can be used to reflect the diffusion movement of water molecules in vivo. It is generally known that diffusion properties depend on the characterization of intrinsic features of tissue microdynamics and microstructure. With the improvement of the diffusion models, diffusion MR imaging techniques are increasingly varied, from the simplest and most commonly used technique to the more complex. In this review, the various diffusion MRI techniques for pancreatic cancer are discussed, including conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), multi-b DWI based on intra-voxel incoherent motion theory, diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging. The principles, main parameters, advantages and limitations of these techniques, as well as future directions for pancreatic diffusion imaging are also discussed.
Core tip: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has irreplaceable advantages and can provide valuable information unattainable with other noninvasive or minimally invasive imaging techniques. Diffusion MR imaging serves as one of the common functional MRI techniques and is the only technique that can be used to reflect the diffusion movement of water molecules in vivo. In this review, the various diffusion MR imaging techniques for pancreatic cancer will be discussed, including conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), multi-b DWI based on intra-voxel incoherent motion theory, diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging.