Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of focal hepatic lesions

  • Published:
Gastrointestinal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two combined magnetic resonance (MR) spin-echo pulse sequences at 0.35 T were compared with dynamic bolus contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of focal hepatic lesions. Each combined MR sequence was performed in a separate group of patients. The first group consisted of 76 patients in whom a moderately T1-weighted sequence (spin echo [SE] 500/30 [repetition time/echo time]) was combined with a T2-weighted sequence (SE 2000/60). In the second group, consisting of 68 patients, a more heavily T1-weighted sequence (SE 250/15) was combined with the T2-weighted sequence. All studies were evaluated in a retrospective blinded fashion, with construction of receiver operating characteristic curves.

We conclude that, in detection of patients with one or more focal hepatic lesions, either combined MR sequence was comparable to CT. In the detection of individual hepatic lesions, the sensitivity of the combined MR sequence with a moderately T1-weighted sequence (SE 500/30 and 2000/60) was essentially equivalent to CT (79 vs 77%, respectively). Additionally, a combined MR sequence with a heavily T1-weighted pulse sequence (SE 250/15 and 2000/60) was not statistically different than CT (86 vs 80%, respectively). These findings were supported by the receiver operating characteristic analysis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nelson RC, Chezmar JL, Steinberg HV, et al: Focal hepatic lesions: detection by dynamic and delayed computed tomography versus short TE/TR spin echo and fast field echo magnetic resonance imaging.Gastrointest Radiol 13:115–122, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  2. Glazer GM, Aisen AM, Francis IR, Gross BH, Gyves JW, Ensminger WD: Evaluation of focal hepatic masses: a comparative study of MRI and CT.Gastrointest Radiol 11:263–268, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  3. Stark DD, Wittenberg J, Butch RJ, Ferrucci JT Jr: Hepatic metastases: randomized, controlled comparison of detection with MR imaging and CT.Radiology 165:399–406, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  4. Reinig JW, Dwyer AJ, Miller DL, et al: Liver metastasis detection: comparative sensitivities of MR imaging and CT scanning.Radiology 162:43–47, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chezmar JL, Rumancik WM, Megibow AJ, Hulnick DH, Nelson RC, Bernardino ME: Liver and abdominal screening in patients with cancer: CT versus MR imaging.Radiology 168:43–47, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  6. Moss AA, Goldberg HI, Stark DD, et al: Hepatic tumors: magnetic resonance and CT appearance.Radiology 150:141–147, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  7. Heiken JP, Lee JKT, Glazer HS, Ling D: Hepatic metastases studied with MR and CT.Radiology 156:423–427, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  8. Robinson DA, McKinstry CS, Steiner RE, Weinbren K, Blumgart LH, Halevy A: Magnetic resonance imaging of the solitary hepatic mass: direct correlation with pathology and computed tomography.Clin Radiol 38:559–568, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bruning JL, Kintz BL:Computational Handbook of Statistics second edition. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1977, pp 218–237

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hanley JA, McNeil BJ: The meaning and use of the area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Radiology 143:29–36, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  11. Beck JR, Shultz EK: The use of relative operating characteristic (ROC) curves in test performance evaluation.Arch Pathol Lab Med 110:13–20, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  12. Swets JA: ROC analysis applied to the evaluation of medical imaging techniques.Invest Radiol 14:109–121, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  13. Metz CE: ROC methodology in radiologic imaging.Invest Radiol 21:720–733, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ferrucci JT, Freeny PC, Stark DD, et al: Symposium — advances in hepatobiliary radiology.Radiology 168:319–338, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  15. Freeny PC, Marks WM, Ryan JA, Bolen JW: Colorectal carcinoma evaluation with CT: preoperative staging and detection of postoperative recurrence.Radiology 158:347–353, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  16. Stark DD: Liver. In: Stark DD Bradley WG (eds):Magnetic Resonance Imaging St. Louis, MO: Mosby CV, 1988, pp 394–1054

    Google Scholar 

  17. Weyman PJ, Lee JKT, Heiken JP, et al: Prospective evaluation of hepatic metastases: CT scanning, CT angiography, and MR imaging (abstr).Radiology 161 (P), 206 1986

    Google Scholar 

  18. Sugarbaker PH, Vermess M, Doppman JL, Miller DL, Simon R: Improved detection of focal lesions with computerized tomographic examination of the liver using ethiodized oil emulsion (EOE-13) liver contrast.Cancer 54:1489–1495, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  19. Alpern MB, Lawson TL, Foley WD, et al: Focal hepatic masses and fatty infiltration detected by enhanced dynamic CT.Radiology 158:45–49, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  20. Freeny PC, Marks WM, Ryan RA, Traverso LW: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: diagnosis and staging with dynamic CT.Radiology 166:125–133, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  21. Stark DD, Wittenberg J, Edelman RR, et al: Detection of hepatic metastases: analysis of pulse sequence performance in MR imaging.Radiology 159:365–370, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  22. Malt RA: Medical intelligence: current concepts-surgery for hepatic neoplasms.New Engl J Med 313(25):1591–1596, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  23. Adson MA: Cannon lecture: hepatic metastases in perspective.AJR 140:695–700, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  24. Wittenberg J, Tosteson AA, Karstaedt N, et al: MR imaging versus CT: a multi-institutional comparison of hepatic metastatic tumor detection accuracy.Abstracts, RSNA 169(P):63, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  25. Schultz CL, Alfidi RJ, Nelson AD, Kopiwoda SY, Clampitt ME: The effect of motion on two-dimensional Fourier transformation magnetic resonance images.Radiology 152:117–121, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  26. Moss AA, Goldberg HI, Stark DD, et al: Hepatic tumors: magnetic resonance and CT appearance.Radiology 150:141–147, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  27. Stark DD, Wittenberg J, Middleton MS, Ferrucci JT Jr: Liver metastases: detection by phase-contrast MR imaging.Radiology 158:327–332, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schmidt HC, Tscholakoff D, Hricak H, Higgins CB: MR image contrast and relaxation times of solid tumors in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis.J Comput Assist Tomogr 9:737–748, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kiricuta I Jr, Simplaceau V: Tissue water content and nuclear magnetic resonance in normal and tumor tissues.Cancer Res 35:1164–1167, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  30. Bernardino ME, Small W, Goldstein J, et al: Multiple NMR T2 relaxation values in human liver tissue.AJR 141:1203–1208, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  31. Doyle FH, Pennock JM, Banks LM, et al: Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the liver: initial experience.AJR 138:193–200, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  32. Henkelman RM, Hardy P, Poon PY, Bronskill MJ: Optimal pulse sequence for imaging hepatic metastases.Radiology 161:727–734, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ferrucci JT: Leo J. Ringer Lecture — MR imaging of the liver.AJR 147:1103–1116, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  34. Edelman RR, Hahn PF, Bueton R, et al: Rapid MR imaging with suspended respiration: clinical application in the liver.Radiology 161:125–131, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  35. Hamm B, Wolf KJ, Felix R: Conventional and rapid MR imaging of the liver with Gd-DTPA.Radiology 164(2): 313–320, 1987

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California

    Jerome A. Barakos M.D., Henry I. Goldberg & Thomas J. Gilbert

  2. Mallinckrodt Institute, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    Jeffrey J. Brown

Authors
  1. Jerome A. Barakos M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Henry I. Goldberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jeffrey J. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thomas J. Gilbert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barakos, J.A., Goldberg, H.I., Brown, J.J. et al. Comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of focal hepatic lesions. Gastrointest Radiol 15, 93–101 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01888748

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01888748

Key words

Search

Navigation