title: Spiral biphasic contrast-enhanced computerized tomography in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Advances in spiral computerized tomography (CT) have made rapid biphasic contrast-enhanced CT possible. This study evaluated the capability of biphasic contrast-enhanced spiral CT to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 125 patients (68 men and 57 women) with proven HCC underwent preliminary noncontrast (NC) scanning, followed by hepatic arterial phase (HAP) and portal venous phase (PVP) imaging. Contrast medium (80 mL, 300 mgI/mL) was administered routinely at a rate of 2 mL/second using an automated contrast injector under guidance software monitoring. Study of NC and PVP images without concurrent study of HAP images detected 131/171 (76.6%) cases of HCC. In contrast, combined study of NC, PVP, and HAP images detected 153/171 (89.5%) cases of HCC. Thus, combined study of NC and biphasic images was able to detect an additional 12.9% of HCC cases in comparison with conventional study of NC and PVP images only. All HCCs that were detectable only on HAP imaging were enhanced homogeneously with contrast medium during the arterial phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cathay General Hospital, 280 Jen-Ai Road, Section 4, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Ching-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Yung-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chau-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chin-Kai
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yong-Chien
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media