Does T2-weighted MR imaging improve preoperative detection of malignant hepatic tumors? Observer performance study in 49 surgically proven cases.
The purpose of our study was to determine whether or not the addition of T2-weighted fast spin-echo (SE) imaging to gadolinium-enhanced spoiled gradient-recalled-echo (GRE) imaging improves the observer performance in the preoperative detection of malignant hepatic tumors. Gadolinium-enhanced GRE and fat-suppressed T2-weighted fast SE images obtained in 49 patients with 82 surgically confirmed malignant hepatic tumors (40 hepatocellular carcinomas and 42 metastases) were retrospectively reviewed by three independent off-site observers. In the random review of images, gadolinium-enhanced GRE images were reviewed first; thereafter, T2-weighted fast SE images were added for combined review. Observer performance was evaluated with the McNemar's test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. For gadolinium-enhanced GRE images alone vs. combined images, sensitivities for detection were 78% vs. 79% for hepatocellular carcinomas (P>.05), 67% vs. 71% for metastases (P<.05) and 72% vs. 75% for tumors overall (P<.05), respectively. The Az values were 0.892 vs. 0.889 in hepatocellular carcinomas (P>.05), 0.797 vs. 0.828 in metastases (P<.05) and 0.839 vs. 0.846 in tumors overall (P>.05), respectively. Our results showed that the addition of T2-weighted fast SE imaging to gadolinium-enhanced GRE imaging improved the observer performance in the detection of metastases.
Kondo
Hiroshi
H
Department of Radiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
Kanematsu
Masayuki
M
Itoh
Kyo
K
Ito
Katsuyoshi
K
Maetani
Yoji
Y
Goshima
Satoshi
S
Matsuo
Masayuki
M
Matsunaga
Naofumi
N
Konishi
Junji
J
Hoshi
Hiroaki
H
Moriyama
Noriyuki
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA