Validity of MR imaging for monitoring effects of percutaneous ethanol injection for HCC.
Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 44 hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who had undergone percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) were analyzed during and after the treatment. Using a long TE/TR spin-echo technique, the initial high intensity of the tumor decreased during treatment in all patients. Decrease in tumor intensity corresponded well with decrease of serum alpha-fetoprotein level and histopathological changes of the necrosis. During the long-term follow-up of three patients, the reappearance of a highly intense area was readily detected by MR imaging, and hence the recurrence of the tumor, as determined clinically or histopathologically, was confirmed. The long TE/TR spin-echo technique proves most helpful in monitoring the effectiveness of PEIT for HCC, as well as for its recurrence.
Kubota
Y
Y
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
Nakano
T
T
Seki
T
T
Kitagawa
S
S
Mizuno
T
T
Sameshima
Y
Y
Katoh
T
T
Tanaka
Y
Y
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis
D000431:Ethanol