Dynamic gadolinium-dota-enhanced MR imaging at 1.0 T value in the differentiation of hepatic tumors

A prospective study was performed to determine the value of dynamic gadolinium—tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid (Gd-DOTA)—enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.0 T, using a gradient-echo (GRE) technique, in the differentiation of hepatic tumors. Fifty patients with hemangiomas (n = 14), focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 4), and malignant tumors of the liver (n = 32) underwent GRE MR imaging at 1.0 T before and repeatedly for 4 minutes after intravenous bolus administration of Gd-DOTA. The diagnoses were proved by histology or follow-up examination. On unenhanced GRE images, hemangiomas had a significantly lower tumor-to-liver contrast-tonoise (C/N) ratio (−14.74 ± 4.49) than did the other tumors (−6.96 ± 5.49) (p < 0.02), and benign tumors had a significantly lower C/N ratio (−12.43 ± 5.99) than did malignant tumors (−7.29 ± 5.71) (p < 0.05). On contrast-enhanced images, hemangiomas had a significantly lower C/N ratio (−17.60 ± 6.90) than did the other tumors (−5.07 ± 12.12) (p < 0.05) in the early phase. During the delayed phase, hemangiomas had a significantly higher C/N ratio (3.90 ± 3.81) than did the other tumors (−4.85 ± 6.51) (p < 0.01), and benign tumors had a significantly higher C/N ratio (3.21 ± 3.65) than did malignant tumors (-5.56 ± 6.56) (p < 0.001). Our data suggest that dynamic Gd-DOTA—enhanced MR imaging at 1.0 T provides useful information to differentiate between benign and malignant hepatic tumors, and to distinguish hemangiomas from the other tumors.