Comparison between areas with Gd-EOB-DTPA uptake and without in hepatocellular carcinomas on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced hepatobiliary-phase MR imaging: Pathological correlation

✍ Scribed by Sanghee Lee; Seong Hyun Kim; Cheol Keun Park; Young-sun Kim; Won Jae Lee; Hyo K. Lim

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 304 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22291

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose:

To determine histological and MR imaging differences between areas with Gd‐EOB‐DTPA (gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) uptake and without in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) as seen on Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced hepatobiliary‐phase MR images.

Materials and Methods:

This study included nine patients with nine histopathologically proven HCCs (mean size, 1.9 cm) that consisted of two portions of a non‐hypointense (Gd‐EOB‐DTPA uptake) and hypointense area (no Gd‐EOB‐DTPA uptake) in one tumor as depicted on hepatobiliary‐phase MR images. Two radiologists and one pathologist compared the histological and MR finding differences between the two portions in consensus.

Results:

In eight specimens, non‐hypointense areas of six specimens showed a green color and two specimens did not show a green color. Microscopically, two of nine showed a higher percentage of bile pigments in the non‐hypointense area as compared to the hypointense area and the remaining seven showed no difference. Six were homogeneous Edmondson‐Steiner grade II, and one was grade I. In two, non‐hypointense areas were grade II and hypointense areas were grade I. No difference between the two portions was found for necrosis, hemorrhage, fibrosis, and a fibrous capsule. Seven on T1/T2‐weighted images and eight on arterial and portal phase images showed no different signal intensity between the two portions.

Conclusion:

Although macroscopically, a non‐hypointense area of an HCC seen on GD‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced hepatobiliary‐phase images may be associated with the area with a green color, no definite microscopic and MR imaging findings that could discriminate a non‐hypointense from a hypointense area of an HCC was found. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:719–725. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.