Ferucarbotran-enhanced T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: differentiation of hepatic cavernous hemangiomas from malignant solid lesions.
BACKGROUND
To demonstrate the characteristic feature of hepatic cavernous hemangiomas on ferucarbotran-enhanced T2-weighted MR imaging as a new diagnostic finding.


METHODS
In 201 hepatic lesions (61 hemangiomas, 61 cysts, 41 hepatocellular carcinomas, 31 metastatic carcinomas, and 7 cholangiocarcinomas), lesion-to-liver contrast on ferucarbotran-enhanced T2-weighted images was qualitatively compared with pre-contrast images by three independent readers using a four-grade scale (group 1, marked increase; group 2, mild increase; group 3, no change; group 4, decrease). The change in the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for each lesion was quantitatively measured.


RESULTS
Only hemangiomas showed a significant decrease in CNR; 10% and 90% of the hemangiomas were categorized as group 3 and 4 lesions, respectively. Besides the hemangiomas, there was no other lesion categorized into group 4 except for one cyst. When group 4 lesions were considered hemangiomas, the accuracy of identification was 96.4%.


CONCLUSIONS
Hemangiomas show a significant decrease in lesion-to-liver contrast on T2-weighted images after ferucarbotran injection, which might be another typical diagnostic imaging finding of hemangiomas distinguished from solid malignant lesions.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, YongDong Severance Hospital and Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Eun-Suk
ES
Cho
Jeong-Sik
JS
Yu
Jhii-Hyun
JH
Ahn
Mi-Suk
MS
Park
Joo Hee
JH
Kim
Jae-Joon
JJ
Chung
Ki Whang
KW
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide