Comparison of unenhanced and gadoxetate disodium-enhanced spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of experimental hepatocellular carcinoma in the rat.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compare the potential value of unenhanced and gadoxetate disodium-enhanced spin-echo images for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in a rat model.


METHODS
Eleven rats with chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma underwent unenhanced T2-weighted fast spin-echo imaging followed by T1-weighted spin-echo imaging before and at 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 3 hours, 1 day, and 3 days after intravenous administration of 60 micromol/kg gadoxetate disodium at 4.7 tesla. Tumor and liver enhancement, and tumor-to-liver contrast-to-noise (C/N) ratio were calculated.


RESULTS
After gadoxetate disodium administration, the tumors showed less enhancement than the liver. Tumor-to-liver C/N ratio increased from 5.5 +/- 0.8% on unenhanced T1-weighted images to 12.9 +/- 2.4% on gadoxetate-enhanced T1-weighted images (P = 0.02). However, the C/N ratio on unenhanced T2-weighted images (23.5 +/- 3.6%) remained higher than that on gadoxetate-enhanced T1-weighted images, a difference that is statistically significant (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In the experimental setting of our study, the higher tumor-to-liver C/N ratio on unenhanced T2-weighted spin-echo images suggests that unenhanced T2-weighted spin-echo images are superior to gadoxetate disodium-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Goudemant
J F
JF
Department of Radiology, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. goudemant@cpmc.ucl.ac.be
Van Beers
B E
BE
Demeure
R
R
Grandin
C
C
Delos
M
M
Pringot
J
J
D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002455:Cell Division; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA