Comparison of ferucarbotran-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery echo-planar, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo, T2*-weighted gradient-echo, and diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging for detection of malignant liver lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery echo-planar imaging (FLAIR EPI) for malignant liver tumors with that of T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE), T2*-weighted gradient-echo (GRE), and diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (DW EPI).


METHODS
SPIO-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that included FLAIR EPI, T2-weighted TSE, T2*-weighted GRE, and DW EPI sequences was performed using a 3 T system in 54 consecutive patients who underwent surgical exploration with intraoperative ultrasonography. A total of 88 malignant liver tumors were evaluated. Images were reviewed independently by two blinded observers who used a 5-point confidence scale to identify lesions. Results were correlated with results of histopathologic findings and surgical exploration with intraoperative ultrasonography. The accuracy of each MRI sequence was measured with jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis. The sensitivity of each observer with each MRI sequence was compared with McNemar's test.


RESULTS
Accuracy values were significantly higher with FLAIR EPI sequence (0.93) than with T2*-weighted GRE (0.80) or DW EPI sequences (0.80) (P < 0.05). Sensitivity was significantly higher with the FLAIR EPI sequence than with any of the other sequences.


CONCLUSIONS
SPIO-enhanced FLAIR EPI sequence was more accurate in the diagnosis of malignant liver tumors than T2*-weighted GRE and DW EPI sequences. SPIO-enhanced FLAIR EPI sequence is helpful for the detection of malignant liver tumors.
Fukukura
Yoshihiko
Y
Department of Radiology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima City, 890-8544, Japan. fukukura@m.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Kamiyama
Takuro
T
Takumi
Koji
K
Shindo
Toshikazu
T
Higashi
Ryutaro
R
Nakajo
Masayuki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels
D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D013113:Spin Labels; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide