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Abstract The liver is affected by various pathologies that may be characterized as diffuse or focal as well as benign or malignant, Imaging modalities currently being used to detect and characterize liver lesions, include ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Dramatic technologic advances have benefited both CT and MRI, in particular MRI with the advent of new tissue-specific contrast agent. MRI is a clinically powerful technique that is well recognized for its ability to depict and characterize benign and malignant diseases of the liver. DWI is a valuable adjunct to traditional techniques and improves the sensitivity of MRI for lesion detection, especially metastases. Furthermore, DWI may enhance the ability to characterize lesions, particularly when gadolinium administration is contraindicated or contrast-enhanced images are suboptimal. Even in the presence of dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, DWI may yield supportive evidence and increase the confidence in a specific diagnosis. DWI should always be used in conjunction with the information provided by additional sequences. Measuring ADC values with DWI as an additional MRI tool can help in oncological practice by distinguishing normal liver parenchyma from focal lesions, and in differentiating benign from malignant liver lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the role of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiation between the benign and malignant hepatic focal lesions. |