title: Characterizing hepatocellular carcinoma using multi-breath-hold two-dimensional susceptibility-weighted imaging: comparison to conventional liver MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the imaging manifestations of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using multi-breath-hold two-dimensional susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and compare to conventional liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three patients with histopathologically confirmed HCC underwent conventional liver MRI, multi-breath-hold two-dimensional SWI, and contrast-enhanced CT preoperatively. The T1-weighted imaging (WI), T2WI, and SWI images were evaluated in consensus by two experienced radiologists. The tumour boundaries, blood products in the tumour, venous vessels, and non-tumour liver parenchyma were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SWI demonstrated significantly better tumour boundary detection than T1WI and T2WI imaging (67.4 and 25.6%, respectively). The detection rate for intra-tumoural blood products using SWI was higher than that of T1WI and T2WI (76.7 and 16.3%, respectively). The detection rate for tumour venous vessels using SWI was 72.1%, while none was detected with conventional T1WI and T2WI. The detection rate for siderotic nodules in non-tumour liver parenchyma using SWI was higher than that of conventional T1WI and T2WI (65.1 and 20.9%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SWI can provide more detailed information than conventional liver MRI in evaluation of tumour boundaries, blood products, venous vasculature, and non-tumour liver parenchyma. SWI is a valuable complement to conventional liver MRI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media