Diagnostic efficacy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for the detection and characterisation of liver metastases: comparison with multidetector-row CT.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

We compared the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and 16-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) with respect to their abilities to detect hepatic metastases and differentiate hepatic metastases from hepatic cysts and haemangiomas.

METHODS:

67 patients with 110 liver metastases (size 0.3-2.5 cm), 33 haemangiomas (size 0.5-1.5 cm) and 17 cysts (size 0.3-1.0 cm) underwent 4-phase MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI, including early dynamic phases, post-contrast T(2) weighted turbo spin echo sequences and 20 min hepatocyte-selective phases. Two observers independently analysed each image in random order. Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for lesion detection and differentiation for MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI were calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

RESULTS:

For both observers, the Az values of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (mean, 0.982 and 0.981) were significantly higher than the Az values of MDCT (mean, 0.839 and 0.892) (p<0.05) for the detection of metastases and for the differentiation of metastases from haemangiomas and cysts. Sensitivities of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI with regard to the detection and characterisation of liver metastases (mean, 96.9% and 96.0%) were significantly higher than those of MDCT (mean, 78.7% and 75.0%) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI showed higher diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity than did MDCT for the detection of hepatic metastases and for the differentiation between hepatic metastases and hepatic haemangiomas or cysts.

• Authors: Y K Kim, G Park, C S Kim, H C Yu, Y M Han
• Journal: The British journal of radiology (Br J Radiol) Vol. 85 Issue 1013 Pg. 539-47 (May 2012) ISSN: 1748-880X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22556405 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Contrast Media
• gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA
• Gadolinium DTPA

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Contrast Media
• Cysts (diagnosis)
• Female
• Gadolinium DTPA
• Hemangioma (diagnosis)
• Humans
• Liver Diseases (diagnosis)
• Liver Neoplasms (diagnosis, secondary)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (methods)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multidetector Computed Tomography (methods)
• Reproducibility of Results
• Retrospective Studies
• Sensitivity and Specificity