title: Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of liver on 3.0-Tesla system: effect of intravenous administration of gadoxetic acid disodium.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Myeong-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Mi-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joon Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ki Whang
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA