Value of the unenhanced phase for detection of hepatocellular carcinomas 3 cm or less when performing multiphase computed tomography in patients with cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether unenhanced images are of added benefit to dual-phase computed tomography (CT) for detection of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) 3 cm or less.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients with cirrhosis underwent unenhanced, arterial and portal venous phase CT, 17 with pathologically proven HCCs 3 cm or less and 19 without HCC. Two radiologists reviewed dual-phase images with and without unenhanced images. Presence or absence of HCC in each segment (n = 324) and subjective added benefit of unenhanced images were recorded.


RESULTS
For readers 1 and 2, unenhanced CT was subjectively helpful in 16 (5%) of 324 and 23 (7%) of 324 segments. Sensitivity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were identical for dual-phase versus triple-phase images for reader 1 (82.4% and 0.882) and reader 2 (100% and 0.997).


CONCLUSIONS
Addition of unenhanced to dual-phase CT does not statistically significantly increase the diagnostic accuracy or sensitivity for HCCs 3 cm or less.
Doyle
Deirdre J
DJ
Department of Medical Imaging, Mount Sinai Hospital-University Health Network, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
O'Malley
Martin E
ME
Jang
Hyun-Jung
HJ
Jhaveri
Kartik
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods