title: Hepatic metastases: randomized, controlled comparison of detection with MR imaging and CT.
abstract: To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging relative to computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of liver metastases, a randomized, controlled study was conducted of 135 subjects, including 57 with cancer metastatic to the liver, 27 with benign cysts or hemangiomas, and 51 without focal liver disease. The sensitivity of MR imaging for detecting individual metastatic deposits was 64%, significantly greater than 51% for CT (P less than .001); the difference in sensitivity for identifying patients with one or more hepatic metastases was less (82% for MR imaging vs. 80% for CT). In patients without hepatic metastases, the specificity of MR imaging was 99% versus 94% for CT. Significant differences were found between individual MR pulse sequences in detection of individual lesions. The sensitivity of both T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) (64%) and inversion-recovery (IR) (65%) pulse sequences was significantly (P less than .001) greater than either the TE (echo time) 60 msec (43%) or TE 120 msec (43%) T2-weighted pulse sequences. Overall, the accuracy of a single T1-weighted (10-minute) pulse sequence was superior to that of contrast-enhanced CT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wittenberg
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Butch
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011897:Random Allocation; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed