title: Focal liver lesions: characterization with nonenhanced and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate prospectively the diagnostic accuracy of non-enhanced and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in characterization of hepatic lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with benign and 52 patients with malignant focal liver lesions underwent examination at 1.5 T that comprised nonenhanced and dynamic contrast material-enhanced images. Four experienced radiologists independently read the different sets of images without and with knowledge of clinical history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging added information to nonenhanced MR studies and thereby improved distinction between benign and malignant lesions (P < .05). Knowledge of clinical data further improved lesion characterization with nonenhanced and combined nonenhanced and contrast-enhanced MR imaging (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging is a useful adjunct for characterization of hepatic lesions. Knowledge of clinical history still has a decisive effect on interpretation of MR images of the liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Steglitz Clinic, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Thoeni
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bernardino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lüning
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taupitz
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA