Characterization of liver metastases: the efficacy of biphasic magnetic resonance imaging with ferucarbotran-enhancement

AimTo retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of biphasic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver with ferucarbotran-enhancement for the characterization of hepatic metastases.Materials and methodsThirty-six patients underwent MRI of the liver with separate acquisition of double-contrast enhancement consisting of gadolinium and ferucarbotran. A total of 106 focal hepatic lesions (51 metastases, 31 cysts, 23 haemangiomas, and one eosinophilic abscess) were included. Two sets of MRI were analysed: (1) ferucarbotran set: ferucarbotran-enhanced T1-weighted (T1W) dynamic imaging combined with ferucarbotran-enhanced T2∗-weighted (T2∗W) delayed imaging and (2) double set: gadolinium-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging combined with ferucarbotran-enhanced T2∗W delayed imaging. The diagnostic accuracy of the two sets was evaluated using alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were compared using the McNemar test. The enhancement pattern of focal hepatic lesions was analysed on gadolinium and ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the accuracy of characterizing hepatic metastases between the two sets. Sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between the sets (p > 0.05). Peripheral rim enhancement was exhibited in 57% of metastatic lesions on ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging. The majority (96%) of hepatic haemangiomas demonstrated typical peripheral nodular enhancement with progression on ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging and were easily differentiated from metastases.ConclusionBiphasic MRI of the liver with ferucarbotran-enhancement alone provided comparable diagnostic efficacy to double-contrast MRI for the characterization of hepatic metastases.