Differentiation of subtypes of renal cell carcinoma: dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging versus diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Objective The objective was to compare the performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the differentiation of subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials/methods This study included 45 renal tumors of clear cell ( n =36) and non-clear-cell ( n =9) RCC. The contrast enhancement ratios (CERs) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on MR imaging were compared between the clear cell and non-clear-cell RCC groups. Results In the comparison of diagnostic performance between DCE and DW MR imaging, areas under the curves were 0.968 and 0.797 for the CERs of the corticomedullary and the ADC value. Conclusion The CER of the corticomedullary phase was more reliable in distinguishing between clear cell and non-clear-cell RCCs.