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MR-imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma capsule appearance in cirrhotic liver: comparison of gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to compare the MR-imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) capsule appearance on gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging, using imaging-based presumptive diagnosis of HCC as the reference standard.

Methods

Gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging of 51 patients with 71 HCCs were retrospectively reviewed. Three readers graded in consensus, using a five-point scale, the presence (score 4–5) of capsule appearance on images obtained during T1-weighted GRE portal venous phase (PVP), 3-min phase, and hepatobiliary phase (HBP). The Fisher's exact test and the t student unpaired test were performed.

Results

A hyperintense capsule appearance was present either on PVP or 3-min phase in 11/46 and in 24/25 HCCs imaged with gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging, respectively (24% vs. 96% p < 0.001). A hypointense capsule appearance was present on HBP in 8/46 and 0/22 HCCs evaluated with gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging, respectively (17% vs. 0% p = 0.046). A capsule appearance was detected either on PVP, 3-min phase, or HBP in 17/46 (37%) HCCs after gadoxetic acid injection and in 24/25 (96%) HCCs after gadobenate dimeglumine injection (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

A capsule appearance was more frequently seen on gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging when compared to gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging.

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Abbreviations

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

PVP:

Portal venous phase

HBP:

Hepatobiliary phase

LI-RADS:

Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System

OPTN:

Organ procurement transplant network

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Radiological Sciences, Department of Biopathology and Medical Biotechnologies DiBiMed, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Marco Dioguardi Burgio, Dario Picone, Massimo Midiri, Roberto Lagalla & Giuseppe Brancatelli

  2. Section of Gastroenterology, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties DiBiMIS, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Giuseppe Cabibbo

Authors
  1. Marco Dioguardi Burgio
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  2. Dario Picone
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  3. Giuseppe Cabibbo
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  4. Massimo Midiri
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  5. Roberto Lagalla
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  6. Giuseppe Brancatelli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco Dioguardi Burgio.

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Conflicts of interest

G.B. has received lecture fees from Bayer Healthcare and funding for travel to educational meetings from Bayer Healthcare and Bracco.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Dioguardi Burgio, M., Picone, D., Cabibbo, G. et al. MR-imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma capsule appearance in cirrhotic liver: comparison of gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine. Abdom Radiol 41, 1546–1554 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0726-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0726-7

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