[The MRT of focal liver lesions: the value of gadolinium-enhanced dynamic studies of the whole organ with a fast 3D-turbo-gradient echo sequence].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the value of a dynamic Gd-enhanced ultrafast T1-weighted 3D-turbo-gradient-echo sequence (3D-TFE) in the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions.


METHODS
51 patients with 124 focal liver lesions (35 hemangiomas, 30 HCC, 24 metastases, 22 cysts, 5 FNH/adenoma, 8 other lesions) were examined using a 1.5 T system. The dynamic 3D-TFE sequence, achieving 40 slices with a thickness of 4.5 mm in a 17-s breath-hold, was compared with a fat-suppressed T2-weighted fast-spin-echo sequence (TSE SPIR), unenhanced and Gd-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo sequences (SE), and a T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (FFE).


RESULTS
On 3D-TFE images more lesions (107/124) were identified than on T1-weighted SE (101/124) and T1-weighted FFE images (106/124), but less compared to T2-weighted TSE SPIR images (115/124). The 3D-TFE-sequence provided additional information in 65/107 (61%) detected lesions by delineating the dynamic enhancement pattern, most valuable in patients with HCCs in 90%.


CONCLUSIONS
On dynamic 3D-TFE images more lesions could be depicted than on conventional T1-weighted SE and T1-weighted FFE images. Visualization of the dynamic enhancement pattern provided additional information for tumor characterization in 61% of the detected lesions on the 3D-TFE images.
Pauleit
D
D
Radiologische Klinik, Universität Bonn.
Textor
J
J
Conrad
R
R
Flacke
S
S
Gieseke
J
J
Born
M
M
Bachmann
R
R
Kreft
B
B
Schild
H
H
D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA