{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]],"date-time":"2025-12-09T10:26:27Z","timestamp":1765275987821,"version":"3.46.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]],"date-time":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765238400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) values, derived from Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI), in differentiating benign and malignant ascites. Methods: This retrospective study included 150 patients (85 benign, 65 malignant) who underwent abdominal MRI. All patients were scanned on a DWI sequence (b-values: 0, 500, and 1000 s\/mm2). Two experienced radiologists, blinded to clinical and cytological outcomes, measured the mean ADC (ADCmean) from three distinct ROIs and the minimum ADC (ADCmin) from the area of lowest signal intensity on the ADC map. The diagnostic performance of ADC parameters and the Serum-Ascites Albumin Gradient (SAAG) was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The mean values of ADCmean (3162 \u00b1 204 \u00d7 10\u22126 mm2\/s) and ADCmin (2885 \u00b1 148 \u00d7 10\u22126 mm2\/s) in the malignant group were significantly lower than those in the benign group (3596 \u00b1 239 and 3322 \u00b1 218 \u00d7 10\u22126 mm2\/s; p = 0.006 and p = 0.0016, respectively). Inter-observer agreement was good for both ADCmean (ICC = 0.844) and ADCmin (ICC = 0.879). In the ROC analysis, ADCmin demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance (AUC: 0.930). An optimal cut-off value for ADCmin of \u2264 2983 \u00d7 10\u22126 mm2\/s yielded 81.5% sensitivity and 85.8% specificity. The diagnostic performance of ADCmin was found to be superior to that of ADCmean (AUC: 0.877) and SAAG (AUC: 0.919). Conclusions: ADC values derived from DWI, particularly ADCmin, represent a highly accurate, non-invasive, and reproducible biomarker for differentiating benign from malignant ascites. The identified ADCmin threshold provides quantitative parameter that can aid in patient triage, especially when cytology is inconclusive, potential surrogate for fluid characterization.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15243130","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]],"date-time":"2025-12-09T09:02:50Z","timestamp":1765270970000},"page":"3130","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Diffusion-Weighted MRI as a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tool for Ascites Characterization: A Comparative Analysis of Mean and Minimum ADC Values Against the Serum-Ascites Albumin Gradient"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6623-3024","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullah Enes","family":"Ata\u015f","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42090, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4788-4734","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u015eeyma","family":"\u00dcn\u00fcvar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Konya City Hospital, Konya 42020, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9353-4647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hasan","family":"Erye\u015fil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Tatvan State Hospital, Bitlis 13200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9120-0563","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naile","family":"K\u00f6kbudak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42090, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1966","DOI":"10.7150\/ijms.53743","article-title":"Development and validation a simple model for identify malignant ascites","volume":"18","author":"Guo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. 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