Technical report: lymph node enhancement at MRI with MnDPDP in primary hepatic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To report two cases of lymph node enhancement in primary hepatic carcinoma following the administration of Mangafodipir trisodium (MnDPDP, Teslascan(R), Nycomed Amersham U.K.), an hepatocyte specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. To review our experience with this contrast agent and the literature to establish if such enhancement occurs in normal lymph nodes or has been previously described in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or other lesions.


METHODS
The radiological reports of all MnDPDP enhanced abdominal MRI examinations were reviewed for lymph node enlargement. The MR images from examinations with reported nodal enlargement were re-evaluated for evidence of nodal enhancement and the hospital notes and histological reports were reviewed. Nodal enhancement was considered present if lymph node signal intensity was greater than that of the spleen following MnDPDP. Literature searches were performed on Medline and PubMed for previous descriptions of lymph node enhancement following MnDPDP.


RESULTS
The reports of 90 MnDPDP abdominal MRI examinations were reviewed. Of 18 cases of lymph node enlargement, two had evidence of lymph node enhancement following MnDPDP. These two cases had hepatocellular carcinoma and fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively, confirmed on liver biopsy. No reports of lymph node enhancement following MnDPDP were identified in the literature.


CONCLUSIONS
Two cases of lymph node enhancement following MnDPDP have been presented. Although histological confirmation of the lymph nodes was not obtained, the authors propose that the lymph node enhancement was due to functioning hepatocytes in lymph node metastases from the patients' histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas. Burkill, G. J. C., Mannion, E. M. & Healy, J. C. (2001). Clinical Radiology56, 67-71.
Burkill
G J
GJ
Department of Radiology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK. guyburkill@hotmail.com
Mannion
E M
EM
Healy
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese; 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