title: An update on clinical applications of hepatospecific contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging of liver parenchyma.
abstract: Hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents are now widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver parenchyma. As extracellular fluid agents, they provide informations regarding lesion vascularity and their use in the hepatobiliary or delayed phase (DPI), and give additional data regarding hepatocyte presence and function. The aim of this article is to review the recent literature about MRI using hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents and to discuss benefits and limits of their clinical applications. Since November 2008, hepatobiliary contrast agents were routinely employed in our Institution for the characterization of equivocal liver lesions detected by other imaging modalities, and for the evaluation of hepatic nodules in liver cirrhosis. The informations provided are particularly relevant for the detection of metastases, for the differentiation between focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA), and for the detection and differentiation between dysplastic nodules (DNs) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the cirrhotic liver. The role in the cirrhosis grading and the quantification of liver function is still controversial. Finally, their biliary excretion allows evaluation of anatomy and function of the biliary tree. According to our and reported data, hepatobiliary contrast agents are able to improve liver lesions detection and characterization; their introduction in clinical practice has improved MRI diagnostic efficacy/accuracy, allowing to decrease the number of invasive diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, "Agostino Gemelli" Hospital, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. mari.giuga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuga
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: De Gaetano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iezzi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rapaccini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media