title: Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR relaxometry for the detection and staging of liver fibrosis.
abstract: Gd-EOB-DTPA, a liver-specific contrast agent with T1-shortening effects, is routinely used in clinical routine for detection and characterization of focal liver lesions and has recently received increasing attention as a tool for the quantitative analyses of liver function. We report the relationship between the extent of Gd-EOB-DTPA- induced T1 relaxation and the degree of liver fibrosis, which was assessed according to the METAVIR score. For the T1 relaxometry, a transverse 3D VIBE sequence with inline T1 calculation was acquired prior to and 20 minutes after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration. The reduction rates of the T1 relaxation time (rrT1) between the pre- and postcontrast images were calculated, and the optimal cutoff values for the fibrosis stages were determined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The rrT1 decreased with the severity of liver fibrosis and regression analysis revealed a significant correlation of the rrT1 with the stage of liver fibrosis (r = -0.906, p < 0.001). ROC analysis revealed sensitivities ≥78% and specificities ≥94% for the differentiation of different fibrosis stages. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced T1 relaxometry is a reliable tool for both the detection of initial hepatic fibrosis and the staging of hepatic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haimerl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Utpatel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verloh
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Trials, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fellner
authors.affiliation: MR Applications Predevelopment, Siemens AG, Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teufel
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fichtner-Feigl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evert
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stroszczynski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiggermann
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA