Published in:
01-12-2013 | Original Article
Detecting hepatocellular carcinoma in gadoxetic-acid-enhanced hepatobiliary-phase MR imaging at 3T: comparing high and low flip angle
Authors:
Mina Song, Hyeon Je Cho, Yun Ku Cho, Mi Young Kim, Sang Ik Noh, Soo Hyun Yang
Published in:
Japanese Journal of Radiology
|
Issue 12/2013
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Abstract
Purpose
We evaluated the diagnostic performance of fat-suppressed 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for the hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetic-acid-enhanced liver MRI between low and high flip angle (FA) at 3T.
Materials and methods
Forty-six patients with 62 HCCs were enrolled in this retrospective study from among 267 consecutive patients who underwent 3T MRI with low and high FA (10° and 25°) sequences at the hepatobiliary phase. A radiologist measured signal intensities and standard deviations (SD) of lesion, liver, and spleen and calculated signal-to-noise ratio, liver–spleen contrast, and liver–lesion contrast. Two reviewers assessed both image sequences using a five-point rating scale focusing on detecting hypointense lesions.
Results
The high FA sequence showed significantly higher liver–spleen and liver–lesion contrast compared with those of low FA (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively). Per-lesion sensitivities of high FA were higher than those of low FA (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively), and per-person sensitivities were elevated on high FA (p < 0.05 in a reviewer). There were statistically significant differences for detecting HCCs larger than 1 cm (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively).
Conclusion
Increasing FA in T1-weighted hepatobiliary-phase liver MRI may help in detecting HCC at 3T.