Imaging characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma using the hepatobiliary contrast agent Gd-EOB-DTPA

• Published in: Acta radiologica (1987) Vol. 47; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Jung, G, Breuer, J, Poll, L W, Koch, J A, Balzer, T, Chang, S, Mödder, U
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-02-2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - classification; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - diagnosis; Contrast Media - administration & dosage; Europe; Female; Gadolinium DTPA; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Liver - diagnostic imaging; Liver - pathology; Liver Neoplasms - classification; Liver Neoplasms - diagnosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Observer Variation; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Tomography, Spiral Computed - methods
• ISSN: 0284-1851
• DOI: 10.1080/02841850500406795

To evaluate the ability of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Gd-EOB-DTPA in comparison with non-enhanced imaging and spiral computed tomography (CT) to provide additional information for classification and characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Forty patients with histopathology-proven hepatocellular carcinoma were selected for this subgroup analysis from a phase-III multicenter study in 235 patients with known or suspected liver lesions. The primary analysis was comparison of the proportion of hepatocellular carcinoma correctly classified and characterized by combined pre-/post-contrast MRI compared with pre-contrast MRI alone or with spiral CT. All images were evaluated on site, and in a blinded reading by three independent readers off site.
In the on-site evaluation, the lesions were correctly classified as a malignant tumor with combined MRI in 90.3%, with pre-contrast imaging alone in 82.9% and with spiral CT in 87.8% (n.s.). The proportion of correct characterization (lesion type diagnosis) with combined MRI was 85.4%, 75.6% for pre-contrast imaging, and 77.5% for spiral CT (n.s.), respectively. In the blinded reading, one reader showed a significant increase in the proportion of correctly characterized lesions by 27% (P<0.05). The other two readers showed a reduction in the proportion of correct characterization by 12% and 15%, respectively (n.s.).
With regard to lesion classification, no difference was found between combined pre-/post-contrast MRI and spiral CT. A non-significant trend in favor of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI with regard to characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma was found, although the CT scans were not optimized as the MRI scans.