Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of three-dimensional dynamic liver imaging with sensitivity encoding (SENSE), including double arterial phase images and increased resolution, by comparing it to superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the detection of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Materials and methods: Twenty-seven consecutive patients with 50 HCCs underwent Gd-BOPTA-enhanced dynamic imaging using SENSE and SPIO-enhanced MR imaging with at least a 24-hour interval between examinations. Using a three-dimensional gradient-echo technique applying SENSE, dynamic imaging consisting of double arterial phase-, portal phase- and delayed phase-images, was obtained. Using T2-weighted turbo spin-echo and T2*-weighted fast imaging with steady-state precession sequence, SPIO-enhanced MR imaging was obtained. For qualitative analysis, the diagnostic accuracy of both MR examinations for detecting the 50 HCCs was evaluated using the alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic method. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were also evaluated.
Results: The mean sensitivity and positive predictive value of three-dimensional dynamic imaging with SENSE were 91.3% and 89.2%, respectively, and those of SPIO-enhanced imaging were 77.3% and 92.6 %, respectively. There was a significant difference in sensitivity between the two images (P <0.05). The mean Az value of three-dimensional dynamic imaging with SENSE (0.97 +/- 0.01) was significantly higher than that of SPIO-enhanced imaging (0.90 +/- 0.02) (P=0.00).
Conclusion: Three-dimensional dynamic liver MR imaging using SENSE for acquiring double arterial phase images is more efficient than SPIO-enhanced MR imaging for detecting HCCs.