Dynamic enhancement pattern of HCC smaller than 3 cm in diameter on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI: comparison with multiphasic MDCT.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The dynamic enhancement pattern of HCCs smaller than 3 cm in diameter on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have not been extensively investigated. We aimed to evaluate the dynamic enhancement patterns of small HCCs (≤3 cm) on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compare enhancement patterns with multiphasic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) based on tumour cellular differentiation and size.

METHODS: We retrospectively included 55 patients with 67 surgically confirmed small HCCs (≤3 cm) who underwent multiphasic MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. Dynamic enhancement patterns were analysed according to tumour cellular differentiation and size. Hepatobiliary phase images were also analysed to assess their additional value.

RESULTS: The proportion of small HCCs demonstrating the typical enhancement pattern differed depending on tumour cellular differentiation on both MRI (P = 0.001) and MDCT (P = 0.001), but differed depending on tumour size only on CT (P = 0.008). Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI more sensitively depicted the typical enhancement pattern than CT for all tumours (P = 0.001), for moderately or poorly differentiated HCCs (P = 0.021) and for HCCs ≤2 cm (P = 0.001). 80% of tumours with atypical enhancement could be diagnosed as HCC based on tumour size and hepatobiliary phase images.

CONCLUSIONS: On both gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and multiphasic CT, the dynamic enhancement patterns of small HCCs (≤3 cm) differed according to tumour cellular differentiation. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI more frequently demonstrated the typical HCC enhancement pattern than CT in small HCCs.