Value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To investigate the value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) .Methods A total of 40 patients with liver cirrhosis or suspected HCC who visited General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command from October 2016 to April 2017 were enrolled, and the data on three dynamic phases of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI ( arterial phase, portal venous phase, and delayed phase) , hepatobiliary phase ( delayed for 20 minutes) , and diffusion-weighted imaging ( DWI) ( b = 50, 400, and 1000 s/mm2) were collected. Two radiologists made a diagnosis and gave diagnostic confidence scores based on the presence or absence of hepatobiliary phase images. Postoperative pathology or clinical diagnosis was used as the criteria for assessing the diagnostic accuracy of HCC. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data.Results A total of 42 HCC lesions and 37 cirrhotic nodules were detected. There were significant differences between HCC lesions and cirrhotic nodules in signal intensity on hepatobiliary phase and DWI ( χ2= 64. 503 and 67. 855, both P < 0. 001) , as well as the apparent diffusion coefficient when the b-values of DWI were 400 s/mm2 and 1000 s/mm2 ( t = 62. 75 and 75. 36, both P < 0. 001) . There was a significant difference in diagnostic confidence score given by the radiologists between the images of three dynamic phases of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and those of four dynamic phases ( including hepatobiliary phase) ( 3. 260 ± 0. 521 vs 4. 620 ± 0. 661, t = 10. 67, P <0. 001) . With postoperative pathology and clinical diagnosis as criteria, the images of three dynamic phases of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI had a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy for HCC than those of four dynamic phases ( including hepatobiliary phase) [76. 19% ( 32/42) vs 95. 24% ( 40/42) , χ2= 6. 222, P = 0. 013]. Conclusion Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI may improve diagnostic accuracy and confidence for HCC and has an important clinical value.