Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of liver on 3.0-Tesla system: effect of intravenous administration of gadoxetic acid disodium.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether intravenous administration of gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA) affects lesion conspicuity and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCs) in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for hepatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3.0 T.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with 50 focal hepatic lesions (18 hepatocellular carcinomas, 12 metastases, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 7 haemangiomas, 12 cysts) underwent DWI at 3.0 T before and after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA. Non-breath-hold DWI was performed with b values of 0, 200, 400 and 800 s/mm(2). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of each lesion, and ADCs of the liver and lesion were calculated for unenhanced and enhanced images. Statistical differences between unenhanced and enhanced data were assessed.


RESULTS
SNRs and ADCs of the liver on enhanced images were significantly lower than on unenhanced images. On DW images at b = 200 s/mm(2), CNRs of malignant and overall lesions were significantly higher on enhanced than on unenhanced images. CNRs of focal lesions tended to be higher, especially in malignant lesions, on DW images at b = 0 and 400 s/mm(2), but without reaching statistical significance. ADCs of focal hepatic lesions were not significantly different before and after administration of contrast agent.


CONCLUSIONS
DWI after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration can be used as a substitute for unenhanced DWI at 3.0 T without compromising CNR and ADC of focal hepatic lesions.
Choi
Ji Soo
JS
Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Myeong-Jin
MJ
Choi
Jin-Young
JY
Park
Mi-Suk
MS
Lim
Joon Seok
JS
Kim
Ki Whang
KW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003560:Cysts / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA