Focal liver lesions: characterization with nonenhanced and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging.
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.
Hamm
B
B
Department of Radiology, Steglitz Clinic, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Thoeni
R F
RF
Gould
R G
RG
Bernardino
M E
ME
Lüning
M
M
Saini
S
S
Mahfouz
A E
AE
Taupitz
M
M
Wolf
K J
KJ
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
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA