MR liver imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA: a delay time of 10 minutes is sufficient for lesion characterisation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether, in patients with normal liver function, a hepatobiliary delay time of 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection is sufficient for lesion characterisation.


METHODS
In 42 consecutive patients with suspected focal liver lesions, dynamic MRI was performed after intravenous Gd-EOB-DTPA, followed by hepatobiliary phases at 5, 10 and 20 min. The following items were assessed at each hepatobiliary phase: parenchymal enhancement, contrast agent excretion in bile ducts, lesion enhancement characteristics (hypo-, iso-, or hyperintensity, rim enhancement, central non-enhancement), and contrast- and signal-to-noise ratios, separately for hypo- and hyperintense lesions.


RESULTS
Following enhancement, parenchymal signal intensity increased significantly up to 10 min (86.3%, P < 0.001), and subsequently stabilised (86.5% after 20 min, P = 0.223). Biliary contrast agent excretion was first observed in 2, 32 and 5 patients after 5, 10 and 20 min respectively. Hepatobiliary lesion enhancement characteristics observed after 5 min persisted during later hepatobiliary phases. CNR and SNR ratios increased significantly (P < 0.05) up to 10 min after enhancement without further increase at 20 min, in hypo- and hyperintense lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
If lesion characterisation is the primary reason for performing MRI, a hepatobiliary delay time of 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection is sufficient in patients with normal liver function.


CONCLUSIONS
• Magnetic resonance imaging is now a first line of investigation of the liver.                                                  • Optimal CNR and SNR are achieved 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection.                                                  • Typical enhancement characteristics are observed early and do not change.                                                  • Ten-minute hepatobiliary delay is sufficient for characterisation of focal liver lesions.
Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands. c.s.vankessel@umcutrecht.nl
C S
CS
van Kessel
W B
WB
Veldhuis
M A A J
MA
van den Bosch
M S
MS
van Leeuwen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA