Hepatocellular carcinoma: MR imaging with mangafodipir trisodium (Mn-DPDP).
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of manganese (II) N,N'-dipyridoxylethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetate 5,5'-bis(phosphate) (DPDP) at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
MR imaging at 1.5 T was performed in 20 patients with 65 HCC nodules. T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo and T1-weighted gradient-recalled-echo images were obtained before and after administration of 5 mumol/kg Mn-DPDP. Readers individually evaluated the pre- and postcontrast images for detection of tumor nodules, with subsequent consensus reading for interpretation discrepancies. Quantitative measurements of tumor-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) were also performed. Enhancement characteristics were correlated with histologic tumor differentiation.


RESULTS
Precontrast images depicted 50 lesions in 17 patients, and postcontrast images depicted 49 lesions in 20 patients. Combination of pre- and postcontrast images enabled detection of 53 lesions in 20 patients. Three lesions (three patients) were seen only on postcontrast images. Four lesions (three patients) were seen only on precontrast images. Reader evaluation of tumor conspicuity showed a significant preference for precontrast T2-weighted SE images (P < .01). Quantitative evaluation showed a significant increase in C/N on postcontrast T1-weighted images (P < .01). Well-differentiated lesions showed significantly greater enhancement than that of poorly differentiated lesions (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Mn-DPDP-enhanced MR imaging depicts HCC tumors not visualized with unenhanced studies. The degree of tumor enhancement correlates with histologic differentiation.
Murakami
T
T
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA 15213-2582, USA.
Baron
R L
RL
Peterson
M S
MS
Oliver
J H
JH
Davis
P L
PL
Confer
S R
SR
Federle
M P
MP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese; D008875:Middle Aged; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D003287:Contrast Media; D008345:Manganese; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D004492:Edetic Acid; C060076:N,N'-bis(pyridoxal-5-phosphate)ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid