Biphasic contrast-enhanced multisection dynamic MR imaging of the liver: potential pitfalls.
Biphasic contrast material-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is an important technique for evaluating liver disease. However, several potential diagnostic pitfalls may be encountered, including lobar, segmental, subsegmental, and subcapsular hyperperfusion abnormalities; early-enhancing pseudolesions, particularly in the medial segment of the left hepatic lobe; heterogeneous hyperperfusion abnormalities throughout the liver; and hypointense pseudolesions due to vascular artifacts, unenhanced hepatic vessels, partial volume artifacts, magnetic susceptibility artifacts, and regenerative nodules in cirrhosis. These abnormalities sometimes have appearances similar to those of true lesions or tumor spread to the surrounding liver parenchyma on arterial-dominant phase dynamic MR images. In most cases, however, no corresponding abnormalities are seen with other pulse sequences or on delayed-phase MR images. In addition, hyperperfusion abnormalities due to readily recognizable causes are often found in characteristic locations and thus can be differentiated from true tumors. An understanding of the causes of these potential pitfalls and how to avoid them will help radiologists understand and correctly interpret images.
Ito
K
K
Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
Mitchell
D G
DG
Honjo
K
K
Fujita
T
T
Awaya
H
H
Matsumoto
T
T
Matsunaga
N
N
D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA