Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng1,2, Masoom A. Haider3, Marcus J. Dill-Macky4, Joan M. Sweet5, John Trachtenberg6, Mark R. Gertner7,8
1Research Institute & Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 3Medical Imaging, University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital; 4Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University Health Network; 5Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto; 6Surgery, University Health Network; 7Biophysics & Bioimaging, University Health Network; 8Physics, Ryerson University
Diffusion MRI for monitoring thermal therapy has received much less attention than contrast-enhanced (CE) methods but is potentially more useful because of its repeatability. In this study, microwave heating of normal canine prostates was monitored with diffusion MRI, CE MRI, and CE ultrasound. CE images revealed an area of low uptake that was smaller than the red ring of thermal damage on histology. However, a well defined ring of reduced diffusion was consistently seen and was shown to correspond to the red ring. Diffusion MRI may be more accurate than CE methods in predicting the eventual extent of thermal damage.