[Evaluation of AMI-25 enhanced MR imaging and enhanced helical CT for liver tumors]

To evaluate the diagnostic capability of superparamagnetic iron oxide enhanced MRI and enhanced helical CT, 17 patients with histologically or clinically diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma or metastatic liver tumor and a total of 208 nodules were studied. The pulse sequences used were SE 500/20 (T1WI), SE 2000/20 (PDWI) and SE 2000/70 (T2WI). Contrast medium was administrated intravenously for more than 30 minutes at a dose of 10 mumoles Fe/kg. Enhanced MR images were obtained 30-90 minutes after the injection of contrast medium. With helical CT, 133 nodules were detected. With unenhanced MRI, 62 were detected on T1WI, 60 on PDWI and 77 on T2WI. On the other hand, with enhanced MRI, 165 were detected on T1WI, 190 on PDWI and 186 on T2WI. Enhanced MRI revealed the most nodules among these images (P0.05), and was especially effective in detecting small nodules less than 10 mm in diameter (P0.05). In conclusion, it was considered that superparamagnetic iron oxide enhanced MRI was useful for the detection of hepatic nodules and that the most adequate pulse sequence was PDWI.