title: [Magnetic resonance tomography compared to computed tomography in the intracardiac spread of hepatocarcinoma].
abstract: A cirrhotic patient with inferior cava and right atrium-ventricular invasion by hepatic tumor was studied with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), computerized tomography (CT) before and after contrast agent bolus iv, ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Obesity obstacled abdominal echotomographic study; esophageal varices were relative contraindication to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The resolutive diagnosis was possible thanks to MRI which documented the spatial continuity among hepatic tumor, intracaval neoplastic thrombus and intracardiac mass. TTE can be considered the first step in case of suspected cardiac masses, but it is sometimes limited by the thorax conformation and not always discriminant. TEE is semi-invasive with important contraindications. CT is limited by the only axial or para-axial scans with low quality reconstructions, worsened in these cases by respiratory and cardiac movements. MRI can be considered the second step in the imaging of cardiac masses, immediately and directly after the echocardiographic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Cardiologia, DIMI, Genova.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sardanelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottonello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renzetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caponnetto
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Tomografia a risonanza magnetica a confronto con tomografia computerizzata nell'estensione intracardiaca di un epatocarcinoma.