Hepatic lesions: Morphologic and functional characterization with multiphase breath-hold 3D gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography - Initial results

PURPOSE: To investigate multiphase (arterial, portal venous, and late venou s phases) breath-hold three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium-enhanced magnetic r esonance (MR) angiography for the detection and functional characterization of hepatic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breath-hold fast spoiled gradient-echo 3D gadolinium -enhanced MR angiography was performed in 18 patients with 35 hepatic lesio ns. Measurements of signal intensity were obtained for 27 seconds in each p hase, with 23-second delays between the three phases. Lesion-liver visibili ties at each phase on the MR angiographic, precontrast T1-weighted, T2-weig hted, and postcontrast T1-weighted images were compared. The MR angiographi c functional lesion characterization was based on the combined assessment o f spatial Variations and the evolution of contrast material enhancement in all three phases. RESULTS: All 35 lesions were correctly characterized on the MR angiographic images, which is significantly (P < .01) better than the precontrast T1-we ighted (n = 14 [40%]), T2-weighted (n = 23 [66%]), and postcontrast T1-weig hted (n = 25 [71%]) imaging results. Analysis of the spatial variations and the evolution of contrast material enhancement significantly (P < .01) imp roved lesion characterization in 66% (23 of 35) of all lesions. CONCLUSION: Multiphase breath-hold 3D gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography is feasible and robust and significantly improves the morphologic detection o f benign or malignant lesions during the early arterial phase. It further i mproves the functional characterization of hepatic lesions, combining an ar terial, portal-venous, and late MR angiographic phase of contrast enhanceme nt.