title: MR imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: MR imaging is useful in the diagnosis and early detection of HCC. Characteristic findings for overt HCC, a pseudocapsule and an intratumoral mosaic pattern, are better demonstrated on MR imaging than by other imaging modalities such as ultrasound and CT scanning. Signal intensity on T2-weighted images is useful in evaluating the grade of malignancy of hepatocytic nodular lesions. Hyperintensity on T1-weighted MR imaging is almost always seen in precancerous hepatocellular lesions and in about one third of overt HCC tumors, whereas other hepatic tumors show hypointensity on T1-weighted MR imaging. In evaluating tumor vascularity, gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MR imaging is an essential and powerful tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onaya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itai
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media