title: The clinical value of MRI using single-shot echoplanar DWI to identify liver involvement in patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic-neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), compared to FSE T2 and FFE T1 weighted image after i.v. Gd-EOB-DTPA contrast enhancement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the detection rate of liver lesions in patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NETs) using echo planar (EP) DWI (diffusion weighted imaging) as compared to standard FSE T2 wi and FFE T1 wi with i.v. (Gd-EOB)-DTPA.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective single-institution study included 55 patients with liver involvement confirmed by GEP-NETs 1.5T MRI system, using FSE T2, EP DWI and FFE T1 with i.v. (Gd-EOB)-DTPA. The potential differences between detection rates of liver deposits using 3 different MR approaches and between groups of patients were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean number of liver deposits: FSE T2=20.7, FFE T1=25.7 and tested EP DWI=24.0. No significant difference was found in overall detection rate of liver deposits seen in 3 different techniques. A significant difference in detection rate of liver deposits was noted between male vs. female and secreting vs. non-secreting cancers. There was nearly perfect agreement between both observers, and each of the tested MRI approaches in regards to number of detected liver lesions (Cohen's kappa=0.848-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no significant differences among the 3 different MRI approaches in detection rates of liver deposits. Perfect agreement with high detection rate of liver deposits provides a rationale for the use of EP DWI in follow-up studies in GEP-NET patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology Hospital Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Artur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sankowski
authors.forename: Jarosław B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ćwikla
authors.forename: Mirosław L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nowicki
authors.forename: Sławomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaberek
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pech
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewczuk
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walecki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000473:pathology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA