DETECTION OF HYPERVASCULAR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA BY DYNAMIC MRI AND DYNAMIC SPIRAL CT

Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the detectability of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) by multislice dynamic MRI and dynamic spiral CT. Materials and Methods: Prior to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with iodized oil, the liver was subjected to T1- and T7-weighted SE-MRI, multislice dynamic MRI after intravenous bolus injection of Gd-DTPA, early phase imaging with spiral CT (dynamic spiral CT) after intravenous bolus injection of contrast medium (at a rate of 2 or 3 ml/s), and delayed phase CT in 64 patients with 208 HCC nodules. The detectability of HCCs by MRI and CT was evaluated retrospectively compared with CT after TACE as a gold standard. Results: The detectability of nodules <1 cm in diameter was superior with dynamic MRI (67%) and dynamic spiral CT (50%) in comparison with SE-MRI (26%) and delayed phase CT (11%) (p < 0.01). The detectability of these tumors with dynamic MRI was significantly superior to that with dynamic spiral CT using an injection rate of 2 ml/s (p < 0.01), but not significantly different from that of dynamic spiral CT using a rate of 3 ml/s. Conclusion: Dynamic MRI and dynamic spiral CT are comparable for detecting hypervascular intrahepatic metastases of HCC.