OBJECTIVE: To determine whether unenhanced images are of added benefit to dual-phase computed tomography (CT) for detection of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) 3 cm or less. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with cirrhosis underwent unenhanced, arterial and portal venous phase CT, 17 with pathologically proven HCCs 3 cm or less and 19 without HCC. Two radiologists reviewed dual-phase images with and without unenhanced images. Presence or absence of HCC in each segment (n = 324) and subjective added benefit of unenhanced images were recorded. RESULTS: For readers 1 and 2, unenhanced CT was subjectively helpful in 16 (5%) of 324 and 23 (7%) of 324 segments. Sensitivity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were identical for dual-phase versus triple-phase images for reader 1 (82.4% and 0.882) and reader 2 (100% and 0.997). CONCLUSIONS: Addition of unenhanced to dual-phase CT does not statistically significantly increase the diagnostic accuracy or sensitivity for HCCs 3 cm or less.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether unenhanced images are of added benefit to dual-phase computed tomography (CT) for detection of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) 3 cm or less. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with cirrhosis underwent unenhanced, arterial and portal venous phase CT, 17 with pathologically proven HCCs 3 cm or less and 19 without HCC. Two radiologists reviewed dual-phase images with and without unenhanced images. Presence or absence of HCC in each segment (n = 324) and subjective added benefit of unenhanced images were recorded. RESULTS: For readers 1 and 2, unenhanced CT was subjectively helpful in 16 (5%) of 324 and 23 (7%) of 324 segments. Sensitivity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were identical for dual-phase versus triple-phase images for reader 1 (82.4% and 0.882) and reader 2 (100% and 0.997). CONCLUSIONS: Addition of unenhanced to dual-phase CT does not statistically significantly increase the diagnostic accuracy or sensitivity for HCCs 3 cm or less.
Authors: Gelareh Sadigh; Sadhna B Nandwana; Courtney Moreno; Kelly L Cox; Deborah A Baumgarten; Jeffrey Switchenko; Tiffany Easter; Kimberly E Applegate Journal: Curr Probl Diagn Radiol Date: 2016-05-25
Authors: F Edward Boas; Aya Kamaya; Bao Do; Terry S Desser; Christopher F Beaulieu; Shreyas S Vasanawala; Gloria L Hwang; Daniel Y Sze Journal: J Digit Imaging Date: 2015-04 Impact factor: 4.056