title: Prospective comparison of high- and low-spatial-resolution dynamic MR imaging with sensitivity encoding (SENSE) for hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of high-spatial-resolution dynamic MRI using sensitivity encoding (SENSE) in detection of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty-five patients were included in this prospectively planned study, and 25 patients with 31 HCCs were assigned into three groups and underwent the following sequences: group A (n=11): three-dimensional fast-gradient-echo (3D-FGE) high-spatial-resolution dynamic MRI (HR-MRI) with SENSE; group B (n=10): 3D-FGE low-spatial-resolution dynamic MRI (LR-MRI) with SENSE; and group C (n=14): 3D-FGE/LR-MRI without SENSE. For the quantitative analysis, the lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the liver and HCCs was measured. For the qualitative analysis, overall image quality for each group was evaluated with a five-point scale analysis. The sensitivities for detection of HCCs were evaluated. The overall image quality in group A was significantly greater than both groups B and C (P<0.01). The sensitivity of lesion detection on HAP was not significantly higher in group A (100%) than group C (69.2%; P>0.05). In our pilot study on a small number of patients, image quality in HR-MRI with SENSE was superior to LR-MRI. A high detection rate was seen with HR-MRI with SENSE in the patients with hypervascular HCCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunokicho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan. mtsuru@dk2.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsurusaki
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Semelka
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uotani
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Kazuro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted