title: Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI for hepatocellular carcinoma: quantitative evaluation of tumor enhancement in hepatobiliary phase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the quantitative evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and dysplastic nodules in the hepatobiliary phase.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects comprised 12 patients with 27 lesions (22 HCCs and 5 dysplastic nodules). Chemical-shift-selective fat-suppressed T1-weighted sequences were obtained before and 10, 20, and 40 min after the injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA. Quantitative analyses were performed with the enhancement ratio of the lesion and the contrast-to-noise (C/N) ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enhancement ratios of the HCCs were 44.0+/-36.5, 44.7+/-46.8, and 47.7+/-52.8 (%) at 10, 20, and 40 min, respectively, after the injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA. The enhancement ratios of the dysplastic nodules were 36.2+/-34.3, 44.3+/-37.3, and 40.1+/-46.8 (%). The C/N ratios of the HCCs were 0.2+/-6.6 for the precontrast image, and -9.2+/-12.6, -9.9+/-14.8, and -12.7+/-15.7 at 10, 20, and 40 min, respectively, after the injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA. The C/N ratios of the dysplastic nodules were 1.4+/-8.0, -13.7+/-11.1, -13.3+/-7.6, and -13.1+/-10.4. No significant differences were found between the HCCs and the dysplastic nodules in the enhancement ratio and the C/N ratio. Only two HCCs showed a positive C/N ratio value, and these HCCs were pathologically confirmed to be a well differentiated and a moderately differentiated carcinoma, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCCs and some of the dysplastic nodules showed hypointensity in the hepatobiliary phase in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. No specific enhancement was observed, regardless of tumor differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University Kasumigaura Hospital, 3-20-1 Aminachi-chuo, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0395, Japan. saito-k@tokyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kotake
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozuki
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Kimihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA