Role of apparent diffusion coefficients with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating between benign and malignant bone tumors

Background Benign and malignant bone tumors can present similar imaging features. This study aims to evaluate the significance of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) in differentiating between benign and malignant bone tumors. Methods A total of 187 patients with 198 bone masses underwent diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The ADC values in the solid components of the bone masses were assessed. Statistical differences between the mean ADC values in the different tumor types were determined by Student’s t -test. Results Histological analysis showed that 84/198 (42.4%) of the bone masses were benign and 114/198 (57.6%) were malignant. There was a significant difference between the mean ADC values in the benign and malignant bone lesions ( P <0.05). However, no significant difference was found in the mean ADC value between non-ossifying fibromas, osteofibrous dysplasia, and malignant bone tumors. When an ADC cutoff value ≥1.10 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s was applied, malignant bone lesions were excluded with a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 84.5%, a positive predictive value of 82.6%, and a negative predictive value of 95.3%. Conclusions The combination of DW imaging with ADC quantification and T2-weighted signal characteristics of the solid components in lesions can facilitate differentiation between benign and malignant bone tumors.