CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT WITH GD-EOB-DTPA IN MR-IMAGING OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA IN MICE - A COMPARISON WITH SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON-OXIDE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the new liver -specific magnetic resonance contrast agent gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-di ethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) to detect hepatocellu lar carcinoma (HCC), Seventeen mice with 66 chemically induced HCCs un derwent magnetic resonance imaging with both Gd-EOB-DTPA (30 mu mol/kg ) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO: 10 mu mol/kg). After enhance ment, lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of 47 detected H CCs increased negatively from 3.7 +/- 10.7 (mean +/- SD) to -55.1 +/- 25.8 with Gd-EOB-DTPA (P < .001) and increased positively from 10.4 +/ - 10.4 to 26.1 +/- 16.3 with SPIO (P < .001), The improvement of CNR a fter administration of SPIO was less in smaller lesions (< 4 mm), wher eas that after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA was independent of lesion size, However, Gd-EOB-DTPA positively enhanced four HCCs (8.5%), both highly differentiated (grade 1) and moderately differentiated (grade 2). Gd-EOB-DTPA allows the conspicuous detection of small HCCs; howeve r, moderately differentiated HCCs occasionally may be positively enhan ced.