Improved Characterization of Focal Liver Lesions With Liver-Specific Gadoxetic Acid Disodium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the safety of gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its efficacy in characterizing liver lesions. Methods Lesion characterization and classification using combined (unenhanced and Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced) MRI were compared with those using unenhanced MRI and contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography (CT) using on-site clinical and off-site blinded evaluations for patients with focal liver lesions. Results Gadoxetic acid disodium was well tolerated in this study. For the clinical evaluation, more lesions were correctly characterized using combined (unenhanced and Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced) MRI than using unenhanced MRI and spiral CT (96% vs 84% and 85%, respectively; P ≤ 0.0008). For the blinded evaluation, more lesions were correctly characterized using combined MRI compared with using unenhanced MRI (61%–76% vs 48%–65%, respectively; P ≤ 0.0012 for 2/3 readers); when compared with spiral CT, a similar proportion of lesions were correctly characterized. Conclusions Gadoxetic acid disodium–enhanced MRI is of clinical benefit relative to unenhanced MRI and spiral CT for a radiological diagnosis of liver lesions.

Respiratory motion artefacts in dynamic liver MRI: a comparison using gadoxetate disodium and gadobutrol

“…Although most guidelines addressing lesion-specific enhancement patterns have been established based on clinical experience using extracellular contrast agents (ECCA), gadolinium-based contrast media (GBCM) with hepatobiliary uptake and excretion have become widely used in clinical routine. These contrast agents allow for acquisition of an additional hepatobiliary phase, which has proven to be advantageous for the detection and characterization of liver lesions, including HCC, FNH, adenoma or metastases [6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

The real capabilities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the characterization of solid focal liver lesions

“…It was shown that the combined assessment of hepatocellular nodule vascularity at CT and CEUS improved diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of malignancy in patients with cirrhosis [26]. Contrast material-enhanced MR with hepatospecific contrast agents, including superparamagnetic iron oxide and gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) and gadoxetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA), allows both dynamic and tissue-specific characterization with improved diagnostic performance in focal liver lesion characterization [27][28][29].…”

Detection of liver metastases secondary to pancreatic cancer: utility of combined helical computed tomography during arterial portography with biphasic computed tomography-assisted hepatic arteriography

“…Recently, gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI) has been shown to be a useful modality for detecting liver tumors [24][25][26][27]. Akai et al [24] have reported that Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI is as useful as MDCT for detecting liver lesions.…”