Interobserver agreement of non-parallel transmission technology zoomed-diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for ordinal biparametric Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS)-based scoring in bladder cancer lesions ≥1 cm

Background

Preoperative assessment of muscle invasion in bladder cancer using the Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) relies heavily on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), but conventional single-shot echo-planar imaging diffusion-weighted imaging (ss-EPI-DWI) may be limited by image distortion and artifacts, potentially affecting interobserver agreement. Zoomed diffusion-weighted imaging without parallel transmission technology (non-pTx zoomed-DWI) may improve image quality. This study aimed to compare the interobserver agreement of non-pTx zoomed-DWI versus conventional ss-EPI-DWI for ordinal biparametric VI-RADS-based scoring in bladder cancer lesions ≥1 cm across different morphological types among radiologists with varying levels of experience.