Characterization of focal hepatic lesions with SPIO-enhanced MRI.

AIM

To evaluate the value of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) enhanced MRI in characterizing focal hepatic lesions.

METHODS

Forty-three patients (32 men,11 women, mean age 51 years, age range 25-74 years) with previously identified focal hepatic lesions were enrolled into this study. All the patients underwent plain, Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI and the SPIO enhanced MRI 1-7 d later. The surgico-pathologic diagnosis was aestablished in 31 cases and the diagnosis in other 12 cases was made on the basis of clinical findings and biochemical tests. The signal changes of lesions were analyzed and the CNRs of lesion-to-liver were measured before and after SPIO enhancement. The data were analyzed by paired t test.

RESULTS

Focal hepatic lesions included primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC,n=22), hemangioma (n=5), cyst (n=4), metastases (n=5), cirrhotic nodule (n=4), focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, n=5) and other miscellaneous lesions (n=6). After SPIO enhancement HCC demonstrated iso- or slight hyperintensity on T1WI and moderate hyperintersity on T2WI, hemangioma showed moderate hyperintensity on T1WI and obvious hyperintensity on T2WI, the SI of cyst had no change either on T1WI or on T2WI, cirrhotic nodules revealed iso-intensity on T2WI, and the SI of FNH decreased significantly on T2WI. No specific manifestations were found in the other 6 miscellaneous lesions after SPIO enhancement.

CONCLUSION

SPIO enhanced-MRI can improve the characterization confidence for diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions.