T2 relaxation times of hypervascular and non-hypervascular liver lesions: do hypervascular lesions mimic haemangiomas on heavily T2-weighted MR images?
OBJECTIVE
To correlate the T2 relaxation times of liver lesions with their vascularity at angiography and to determine whether hypervascular lesions have similar signal intensity to haemangiomas on heavily T2-weighted MR images.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with histologically proven malignant liver lesions had both angiography and T2W (SE 3000/80,160) MR imaging (1.5 T) of the liver. Angiographically, the lesions were hypervascular in 15 and non-hypervascular in 19 patients. Fifteen additional patients with proven haemangioma also had MR imaging during the same time period. The T2 relaxation time of a representative lesion was calculated for each patient and the results compared.


RESULTS
The mean T2 time for hypervascular lesions was 76 +/- 21 ms compared with 79 +/- 18 ms for non-hypervascular lesions (P = 0.61). The mean T2 relaxation time for haemangiomas was significantly longer than either group: 147 +/- 46 ms (P = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The T2 relaxation times of hypervascular and non-hypervascular liver lesions are similar and are significantly shorter than those of haemangiomas. Therefore, hypervascular lesions should not mimic haemangiomas on heavily T2-weighted images.
McNicholas
M M
MM
Department of Radiology, Massachusett's General Hospital, Boston, USA.
Saini
S
S
Echeverri
J
J
Foley
M
M
Kaufman
J
J
McFarland
E
E
Hahn
P F
PF
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D011859:Radiography