Comparison of various techniques of iron oxide-enhanced breath-hold MR imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma.
The purpose of our study is to compare qualitatively and quantitatively the abilities of various superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced breath-hold magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Eight patients with HCCs were imaged. The images were obtained with conventional T2-weighted spin-echo imaging (CSE), half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), single-shot gradient-echo type echo planar imaging (GE-EPI), and single-shot spin-echo type echo planar imaging (SE-EPI) before and after SPIO administration. The liver signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in CSE and each EPI sequence were significantly decreased after SPIO administration. GE-EPI had the highest decrease ratio (DR) of liver SNR, followed by SE-EPI (TE=98), SE-EPI (TE=28), CSE, and HASTE in this order. The relative contrasts with GE-EPI and SE-EPI (TE=98) were significantly higher than that with CSE after SPIO administration. On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, diagnostic accuracy did not differ significantly among the pulse sequences after SPIO administration. GE-EPI and SE-EPI (longer TE) were useful for SPIO-enhanced breath-hold MRI performed to detect HCC.
Sugihara
S
S
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Nishicho, Yonago 683, Japan.
Suto
Y
Y
Kamba
M
M
Ogawa
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012372:ROC Curve; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D012119:Respiration; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide