Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging for Differentiation of Benign Fracture Edema and Tumor Infiltration of the Vertebral Body

Abstract

Diffusion-weighted spin-echo, fat-suppressed spin-echo, and stimulated-echo sequences are equally suitable for imaging of the spine. Calculation of signal attenuation and observation of signal characteristics allowed differentiation of benign fracture edema and tumor infiltration and provided excellent distinction between benign and malignant vertebral fractures in our series.