Figure 1.
Flowchart of patients and lesions.
83 consecutive patients were included in this trial. Malignant lesions (n = 63) were either histologically proven (n = 45), or the diagnosis was based on AFP>196 ng/ml (n = 5) or on the knowledge of the primary tumor in case of metastases (n = 13). Benign lesions (n = 20) did not show any change during the follow-up examinations over more than 6 months.
Figure 2.
Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of liver parenchyma in 83 patients.
In arterial phase images 15-EOB-DTPA administration, a significant increase in SNR could be observed (mean ± SEM, 71.8±3.4 vs. 79.7±3.4; p = 0.028). Furthermore, a significant increase in SNR between 15 s and 60 s could be shown (mean ± SEM, 79.7±3.4 vs. 101.4±5.5; p<0.0001). Over the further time course, no other significant increase in SNR occurred (120 s, 108.0±5.7; 20 min, 98.6±6.6).
Figure 3.
The graph shows the temporal mean contrast enhancement ratios (CERs) of HCCs, metastases, adenomas, hemangiomas, and FNH lesions at each MR imaging phase during the arterial phase (15 s), the portal venous phase (60 s), the late phase (120 s), and the hepatobiliary phase (20 min).
Figure 4.
The graph shows the temporal mean liver-to-lesion contrast (LLC) ratios of HCCs, metastases, adenomas, hemangiomas, and FNH lesions at each MR imaging phase in unenhanced images, during the arterial phase (15 s), the portal venous phase (60 s), the late phase (120 s), and the hepatobiliary phase (20 min).
Figure 5.
Transverse 3D fat-suppressed T1- weighted gradient-echo sequence obtained 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration in hepatobiliary phase: white arrows depict (A) hypointense HCC on cirrhotic liver parenchyma, (B) hypointense metastasis, (C) hypointense adenoma, (D) hypointense hemangioma, (E) hyperintense FNH lesion with central scar.