FOCAL HEPATIC LYMPHOMA - MAGNETIC-RESONANCE DEMONSTRATION USING CURRENT TECHNIQUES INCLUDING GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT

This study demonstrates the appearance of focal hepatic lymphoma using current magnetic resonance techniques including gadolinium enhancemen t, Fifteen patients with hepatic lymphoma were imaged at 1.5T. TI-weig hted, T2-weighted, immediate, and 5-10-min delayed T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo images were acquired in all patients, Determination was made of lesion size, number, morphology, and signal intensity of lesi ons on all sequences, Seven patients had solitary lesions and 8 patien ts had multiple lesions, Focal lesions of hepatic lymphoma ranged in s ize from 5 mm to 15 cm, They were well defined masses with mild to mod erate low signal intensity relative to liver on T1-weighted images, Ly mphoma lesions in 6 patients were moderately high in signal intensity on T2-weighted images compared with liver (Type I lesions), and enhanc ement of lesions was intense on early post-gadolinium images in 5 of t hese patients, Lymphoma lesions in 6 patients were mildly hypointense to mildly hyperintense on T2-weighted images compared to liver (Type I I lesions), and lesions in 5 of these patients enhanced minimally on t he early past-gadolinium spoiled gradient echo images, The remaining 3 patients had received chemotherapy before the magnetic resonance exam ination, and the imaging findings varied reflecting presumed differenc es in treatment responses. Transient ill defined perilesional enhancem ent on immediate post-gadolinium spoiled gradient echo images was obse rved in 9 patients including patients with either type of lesion, Foca l lesions of hepatic lymphoma are usually low in signal intensity on T 1-weighted images but have variable signal intensity on T2-weighted im ages, In general, lesions that are mildly hypointense to minimally hyp erintense in signal intensity on T2-weighted images enhance minimally, and lesions moderately high in signal intensity on T2-weighted images enhance intensely, Transient increased perilesional enhancement is co mmon. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.