Olivio Donati MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Michael Alexander Fischer MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Roger Hunziker, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dimitri Raptis, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefan Breitenstein, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Michael A. Patak MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the added value of hepatospecific phase in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with primary tumors in non-cirrhotic liver.

Twenty-nine patients (46±19 years; 11 male) underwent preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI including hepatospecific phase after 10 and 20 minutes of contrast injection at 5 institutions in Europe, North America and Australia. Images were evaluated by three different readers (R1-R3) who characterized liver tumors with and without consultation of the hepatospecific phase images. Confidence in diagnosis was scored on a visual analog scale from 1-10. Histopathology in all patients (adenoma, n=5; focal nodular hyperplasia, n=11 and hepatocellular carcinoma, n=13) served as the standard of reference. Differences were evaluated using the McNemar and Wilcoxon signed rank test. 

Without hepatospecific phase images available, 22 (76%), 19 (66%) and 19 (66%) of 29 tumors were characterized correctly by the three readers respectively. Mean confidence in diagnosis was 6.1, 5.7 and 5.8. With the hepatospecific phase included, characterization of liver tumors did not change significantly with 21 (72%), 23 (79%) and 19 (66%) of 29 tumors diagnosed correctly (p>0.05). According confidence ratings increased to 6.3, 6.5 and 7.7, respectively. Increase in diagnostic confidence was significant for R2 and R3 (p<0.05).

The additional hepatospecific phase in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI did not significantly increase diagnostic accuracy in characterization of primary tumors in the non-cirrhotic liver. However, 2/3 readers showed a significant increase in diagnostic confidence after consultation of the hepatospecific phase. 

The hepatospecific phase in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI may increase confidence in characterization of primary liver tumors in non-cirrhotic livers in certain cases.

Donati, O, Fischer, M, Hunziker, R, Raptis, D, Breitenstein, S, Patak, M, MRI for Characterization of Primary Tumors in the Non-cirrhotic Liver: Added Value of Gd-EOB-DTPA Enhanced Hepatospecific Phase.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11034545.html