title: T2 relaxation times of hypervascular and non-hypervascular liver lesions: do hypervascular lesions mimic haemangiomas on heavily T2-weighted MR images?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusett's General Hospital, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McNicholas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Echeverri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: 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