NON-BREATH-HOLD FAST SPIN-ECHO VERSUS BREATH-HOLD FAST SPIN-ECHO AND SPOILED GRADIENT-RECALLED ECHO MR-IMAGING IN THE DETECTION OF HEPATIC-TUMORS - CORRELATION WITH SURGICAL FINDINGS

OBJECTIVE. Our objective was to compare the sensitivity of non-breath- hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo with and without fat suppression, brea th-hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo without fat suppression, and spoile d gradient-recalled echo (GRE) MR imaging for detecting hepatic tumors using surgical findings as the standard of reference, SUBJECTS AND ME THODS. Eighteen patients with 36 surgically proven hepatic tumors had non-breath-hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo (6000/117 [TR/effective TE; echo train length, 16) MR imaging with and without fat suppression, b reath-hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo MR imaging (2700/105; echo train length, 20), and spoiled GRE images (10.1/1.9; flip angle, 30 degrees ) obtained before and after injection of a gadolinium chelate. Images were analyzed separately by two independent readers, with disagreement s resolved by consensus reading. RESULTS. Non-breath-hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo MR imaging with and without fat suppression depicted 22 (61%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 43-77%) and 20 (56%; 95%CI, 37-72 %) of 36 hepatic tumors, respectively. Breath-hold T2-weighted fast sp in-echo imaging allowed detection of 19 (53%; 95% CI, 35-69%) of 36 he patic tumors, Unenhanced and gadolinium chelate-enhanced spoiled GRE i mages allowed depiction of 18 (50%; 95% CI, 33-67%) and 29 (81%; 95% C I, 63-91%) of 36 hepatic tumors, respectively. Gadolinium chelate-enha nced spoiled GRE images allowed depiction of significantly more hepati c tumors than any of the other pulse sequences. CONCLUSION. Gadolinium chelate-enhanced spoiled GRE imaging is more sensitive than T2-weight ed MR imaging obtained with a breath-hold or a non-breath-hold techniq ue.