Introduction: To evaluate the efficacy of biphasic spiral CT and MnDPDP (Teslascan, Nycomed Amersham) enhanced MR imaging to detect and classify liver lesions.
Materials and methods: 39 patients with known or suspected liver lesions were included into this study and examined with biphasic spiral CT and MnDPDP-enhanced MRI. 25 histological reports and 1 extreme increased serum AFP value could be obtained from 22 patients, therefore only these 26 proven lesions were included into this analysis.
Results: From 39 patients CT revealed in 54% (14 lesions) and MRI in 54% correct (i.e., corresponding to the histology) diagnosis. Correct CT/wrong MRT diagnosis and vice versa was present in only 2 lesions each. Differentiating into benign versus malignant lesion was successful in 73% for MRI and 77% for CT. In 81% MRI revealed the correct type of lesion (hepatocellular or non-hepatocellular) vs. 77% with CT. Sensitivity/specificity for differentiation into benign/malignant lesions was 86%/70% (MRI) and 87%/77% (CT) and for differentiation of the lesions origin 100%/80% (MRI) and 80%/75% (CT), these differences were not significant. MnDPDP-enhanced MRI showed significantly more lesions than non-enhanced MRI.
Conclusion: MnDPDP-enhanced MRI is better than CT in differentiating hepatocellular liver lesions from non-hepatocellular lesions. After contrast enhancement with MnDPDP significantly more lesions could be evaluated in MRI. MnDPDP improves, in combination with biphasic helical CT, the diagnosis of liver lesions.