Prostate diffusion-weighted imaging at 3T: effect of intravenous gadobutrol administration.

Abstract

To investigate whether gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) administration significantly affects diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at 3T in the evaluation of prostate cancer and benign tissue. Thirty-four consecutive patients with surgically proven prostate cancer underwent preoperative DWI at 3T before and after GBCA administration. Exponential apparent diffusion coefficient (EADC) and ADC maps were developed from DWI data. The ADC and EADC values pre- and post-contrast were measured in the cancer and benign tissue, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were evaluated on pre- and post-contrast DWI. The ADC and EADC values of the cancer and benign transition zone were not significantly different between pre- and post-contrast, respectively (P > 0.05), while those in the benign peripheral zone were significantly different (P = 0.030 and 0.037, respectively). In all tissues, the SNRs and CNRs of the DWI, ADC map and EADC map were not significantly different between pre- and post-contrast (P > 0.05). Between pre- and post-contrast, ADC and EADC values showed excellent agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.894) and variability of ≤3.2%. Prostate 3T-DWI after GBCA administration may be used without a significant difference in SNR or CNR, with minimal variability of the cancer ADC and EADC values. • ADCs and EADCs have excellent agreement before and after gadobutrol administration. • SNRs of prostate DWI are similar before and after gadobutrol administration. • CNRs of cancers are similar between pre- and post-contrast DWI.