title: Timing bolus dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI assessment of hepatic perfusion: Initial experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI timing bolus data from routine clinical examinations can be postprocessed to obtain hepatic perfusion parameters for diagnosing cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified 57 patients (22 with cirrhosis and 35 without cirrhosis) who underwent abdominal MRI, which included a low-dose (2 mL gadodiamide) timing bolus using a volumetric spoiled gradient echo T1-weighted sequence through the abdomen. Using a dual-input single-compartment model, the following perfusion parameters were measured: arterial, portal, and total blood flow; arterial fraction; mean transit time; and distribution volume. Those parameters were compared between patients with and without cirrhosis using t-tests. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the perfusion parameters that can best predict the presence of cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hepatic arterial fraction, arterial flow, and distribution volume in patients with cirrhosis (27.7 +/- 8.3%, 44.8 +/- 14.1 mL/minute/100 g, and 16.3 +/- 4.5%, respectively) were significantly higher than those without cirrhosis (18.7 +/- 4.4%, 28.5 +/- 11.7 mL/minute/100 g, and 14.0 +/- 4.2%, respectively; P < 0.05 for all). ROC analysis showed arterial fraction as the best predictor of cirrhosis, with sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 86%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Timing bolus DCE MR images from routine examinations can be postprocessed to yield potentially useful hepatic perfusion parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Zhen J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bonnie N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.forename: Aliya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qayyum
authors.forename: Bachir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taouli
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA