Lim JH, Choi D, Cho SK, Kim SH, Lee WJ, Lim HK, Park CK, Paik SW, Kim YI.Conspicuity of hepatocellular nodular lesions in cirrhotic livers at ferumoxides-enhanced MR imaging: importance of Kupffer cell number.: Radiology 2001 Sep;220(3):669-76
PURPOSE: To correlate the
conspicuity of hepatocellular carcinomas and dysplastic nodules
on ferumoxides-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) images with the
number of Kupffer cells in the hepatic lesions, as compared with
that in background liver in histopathologic findings. MATERIALS
AND METHODS: Sixty-nine histopathologically proved moderately
or poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, 10 well-differentiated
hepatocellular carcinomas, and 19 dysplastic nodules were retrospectively
studied in 68 patients with cirrhosis who underwent ferumoxides-enhanced
MR imaging. The contrast-to-noise ratio between the nodules and
surrounding parenchyma was calculated at T2-weighted fast spin-echo
imaging, and the difference in the number of Kupffer cells between
the nodules and surrounding hepatic tissue was calculated histopathologically.
The results of MR imaging and histopathologic examination were
correlated. RESULTS: All 69 moderately or poorly differentiated
hepatocellular carcinomas had high contrast-to-noise ratios at
MR imaging and large differences in the number of Kupffer cells.
Six of the 10 well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas had
contrast-to-noise ratios of zero or nearly zero, and five of these
had little difference in the number of Kupffer cells. All 19 dysplastic
nodules had contrast-to-noise ratios of zero or nearly zero, and
there were virtually no differences in the number of Kupffer cells.
CONCLUSION: Hepatocellular nodule conspicuity at ferumoxides-enhanced
MR imaging depends on differences in the number of Kupffer cells
within a nodule and the surrounding cirrhotic liver; moderately
or poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas can be distinguished
from well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas and dysplastic
nodules.
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