title: Assessment of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for HCC and dysplastic nodules and comparison of detection sensitivity versus MDCT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to evaluate gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and dysplastic nodules (DNs) compared with dynamic multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT), and to discriminate between HCCs and DNs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-six nodules diagnosed as HCC or DNs were retrospectively investigated. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and dynamic MDCT were compared with respect to their diagnostic ability for hypervascular HCCs and detection sensitivity for hypovascular tumors. The ability of hepatobiliary images of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI to discriminate between these nodules was assessed. We also calculated the EOB enhancement ratio of the tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For hypervascular HCCs, the diagnostic ability of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI was significantly higher than that of MDCT for tumors less than 2 cm (p = 0.048). There was no difference in the detection of hypervascular HCCs between hepatobiliary phase images of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI (43/45: 96%) and dynamic MDCT (40/45: 89%), whereas the detection sensitivity of hypovascular tumors by Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI was significantly higher than that by dynamic MDCT (39/41: 95% vs. 25/41: 61%, p = 0.001). EOB enhancement ratios were decreased in parallel with the degree of differentiation in DNs and HCCs, although there was no difference between DNs and hypovascular well-differentiated HCCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnostic ability of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for hypervascular HCCs less than 2 cm was significantly higher than that of MDCT. For hypovascular tumors, the detection sensitivity of hepatobiliary phase images of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI was significantly higher than that of dynamic Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and dynamic MDCT. It was difficult to distinguish between DNs and hypovascular well-differentiated HCCs based on the EOB enhancement ratio.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komuta
authors.forename: Sosuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayaishi
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitai
authors.forename: Kinuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Hobyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueshima
authors.forename: Michiie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Maenishi
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyodo
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Seishi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumano
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA