Analysis of Hepatobiliary Phase of Gadoxetate Disodium Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Keywords:
Gadoxetate disodium; Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Child-Puge; Alanine aminotransferase (ALT); Aspartate aminotransferase (AST); Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)Abstract
Objective: To characterize the patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules and to determine the factors correlated with the hepatobiliary phase characteristics of the HCC nodules using gadoxetate disodium-enhanced hepatobiliary phase MRI.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records and dynamic imaging using gadoxetate disodium-enhance MRI of patients with HCC at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Thailand between April 2011 and October 2013 was performed. Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Univariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the outcomes.
Results: Forty-five HCC were eligible for this study; the majority of the HCC patients (39 cases; 87.2%) had hypointensity of HCC nodules in the hepatobiliary phase. Of the 6 patients with hyperintense HCC nodules, 1 showed homogenous hyperintensity with hypointense rims and 5 showed hyperintensity with hypointense rims and focal defects in the hepatobiliary phase. Only ALT ³100 U/L was significantly associated with homogeneous hyperintensity and hyperintense rims with focal defects (p=0.008). There was no association between AFP level, size of the HCC nodules, and the Child-Puge classification with the pattern in the hepatobiliary phase.
Conclusion: In the gadoxetate disodium-enhanced hepatobiliary phase MRI images, the hypointense pattern was the most commonly seen in HCC nodules with typical vascular patterns. For HCC appearing as a hyperintense nodule in the hepatobiliary phase, a hypointense rim with a focal defect pattern could be observed. The patients with HCC and ALT ³100 U/L were associated with the hyperintense pattern of the hepatobiliary phase using gadoxetate disodium.
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