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Research progress in the application of diffusion-weighted imaging in hematological malignancies
BAI Haoxue  NIU Jinliang 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.035.


[Abstract] Hematological malignancies mainly include lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma. The characteristics of their tumor cells not being restricted by tissue barriers and thus easily invading multiple organs, as well as the tumor heterogeneity caused by multiple gene mutations, pose challenges to the diagnosis and treatment of hematological malignancies. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a commonly used magnetic resonance functional imaging technique in clinical practice. The quantitative parameter apparent diffusion coefficient value can reflect the local cell density changes caused by tumor cell proliferation and the resulting abnormal water molecule diffusion in the early stage. In addition, whole-body diffusion weighted imaging technology can detect tiny lesions that are easily overlooked in conventional imaging examinations. In recent years, its related technologies include intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and diffusion tensor imaging imaging (DTI) and time-dependent diffusion MRI (TDD-MRI) techniques have made significant progress in the tumors themselves of malignant hematological diseases and the organs involved throughout the body. Although DWI has become an important imaging tool in clinical practice due to its high sensitivity and specificity in detecting bone marrow infiltration and extramedullary lesions, most existing studies focus on a single technique and lack in-depth summaries of the comprehensive application of DWI technology in various hematological malignancies. This article focuses on discussing the correlation between quantitative parameters of DWI and the early diagnosis, therapeutic effect evaluation and prognosis of hematological malignancies, and analyzes the limitations of current research.
[Keywords] diffusion weighted imaging；intravoxel incoherent motion；diffusion kurtosis imaging；diffusion tensor imaging；hematological malignancies；leukemia；lymphoma；multiple myeloma

BAI Haoxue1   NIU Jinliang2*  

1 School of Medical Imaging, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China

2 Department of Imaging, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China

Corresponding author: NIU J L, E-mail: sxlscjy@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-07-14
Accepted  2025-10-24
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.035
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.035.

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