Preoperative detection of hepatic metastases: comparison of diffusion-weighted, T2-weighted fast spin echo and gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging using surgical and histopathologic findings as standard of reference.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the respective sensitivities of diffusion-weighted (DW), T2-weighted fast spin-echo (T2WFSE) and gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging in the preoperative detection of hepatic metastases using intraoperative ultrasonographic and histopathologic findings as the standard of reference.


METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with 64 surgically and histopathologically proven hepatic metastases had MR imaging of the liver, including DW, T2WFSE and dynamic gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging. Images from each MR sequence were separately analyzed by two readers with disagreements resolved by consensus readings. The findings on MR images were compared with intraoperative ultrasonographic and histopathologic findings on a lesion-by-lesion basis to determine the sensitivity of each MR sequence. Statistical review of the lesion-by-lesion analysis was performed with the McNemar test.


RESULTS
DW, T2WFSE and gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging allowed the depiction of 54/64 (84.4%; 95% CI: 73.1-92.2%), 44/64 (68.8%; 95% CI: 55.9-79.8%), and 51/64 (79.7%; 95% CI: 67.8-88.7%) hepatic metastases respectively. DW MR images allowed depiction of significantly more hepatic metastases than did T2WFSE and was equivalent to gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging (P=.002 and P=.375, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
DW MR imaging is superior to T2WFSE imaging and equivalent to gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging for the preoperative detection of hepatic metastases. Further studies however are needed to determine at what extent DW MR imaging can be used as an alternative to gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging for the preoperative depiction of hepatic metastases.
Soyer
Philippe
P
Department of Abdominal Imaging, Unité 965 INSERM/Paris7, Hôpital Lariboisière-AP-HP and Université Diderot-Paris 7, 2, rue Ambroise Paré, 75475 Paris Cedex 10, France. philippe.soyer@lrb.aphp.fr
Boudiaf
Mourad
M
Placé
Vinciane
V
Sirol
Marc
M
Pautrat
Karine
K
Vignaud
Alexandre
A
Staub
Fabrice
F
Tiah
Djamel
D
Hamzi
Lounis
L
Duchat
Florent
F
Fargeaudou
Yann
Y
Pocard
Marc
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate