Detection of small hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of conventional gadolinium-enhanced MRI with gadolinium-enhanced MRI after the administration of ferucarbotran.
We compared the diagnostic efficacy of gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MRI with that of Gd-enhanced MRI after administration of ferucarbotran for revealing small hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). 24 patients with 34 HCCs (ranging in size from 0.6-2.0 cm) underwent Gd-enhanced three-dimensional dynamic MRI followed, after an interval of 5-11 days (mean, 7 days), by Gd-enhanced three-dimensional dynamic MRI after administration of ferucarbotran. The two Gd-enhanced arterial-phase MRI scans were compared quantitatively by measuring the tumour-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and qualitatively by evaluating the tumour-liver contrast using matched-pairs analysis. The tumour-liver CNR with Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging after ferucarbotran (250.3 +/- 103.7) was higher than that with Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging (221.1 +/- 96.1) (p < 0.001). Matched-pairs analysis indicated that, for three lesions, the relative tumour-liver contrast was slightly better with Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging after ferucarbotran than with conventional Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging; however, in the case of the remaining 31 lesions, the two images were equivalent. We concluded that, although Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging after ferucarbotran results in better tumour-liver CNR than Gd-enhanced arterial-phase imaging, the ability of the two techniques to reveal small hypervascular HCCs is the same.
Kim
Y K
YK
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Medical School, Keum Am Dong, JeonJu, South Korea. jmyr@dreamwiz.com
Kim
C S
CS
Han
Y M
YM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007501:Iron; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010087:Oxides
D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D005682:Gadolinium; D007501:Iron; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide