title: Follow-up of known carcinoid liver metastases: is respiratory-gated t(2) fast spin-echo enough?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the reliability of T(1)-weighted, T(2)-weighted, and different phases of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the detection and reproducible size assessment of known carcinoid hepatic metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 patients with known carcinoid hepatic metastases qualified for the study. Three readers reviewed MRI images twice independently at sessions that were >2 weeks apart. The best sequences for metastases conspicuity, number and size, and reproducibility of size were compared subjectively. Linear mixed models were used to compare the number and size of metastases between readers and sequences, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best overall sequence rated was T(2) FSE (fast spin-echo). The average numbers of metastases was equivalent using T(1)-weighted arterial and T(2) FSE but less for T(2) FRFSE (fast-recovery, fast spin-echo) or delayed imaging. 1,067 lesions were detected and 66 were measured twice by three readers. There was no significant difference between the sequences or between the readings in size measurement when the same sequence was used. However, there was a difference among sequences for size of metastases (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T(2) FSE can be used as a basic sequence in detecting and monitoring the size of carcinoid hepatic metastases and may serve as the primary sequence in patients with contrast allergy or at risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhosale
authors.forename: Jin Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kwek
authors.forename: Revathy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassett
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kundra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies