PURPOSE: To evaluate two different iodine concentrations of contrast material for detecting hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in cirrhotic liver by multi-detector row helical CT (MDCT) when a fixed contrast material volume and injection rate is used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. In this prospective study, 105 patients were randomly assigned a group A (an iodine concentration of 300 mg I/mL), and a group B (an iodine concentration of 370 mg I/mL). In both groups the volume of contrast material was 100 mL and the injection rate was 4 mL/s. Fifty-two patients had 122 hypervascular HCCs. The diagnosis of HCCs was established histopathologically (n=24) and by imaging findings (n=98). Three readers independently analyzed four image sets: an arterial phase (AP), a portal phase (PP), an equilibrium phase (EP), and combined all three phase images set. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: The mean sensitivity for detecting hypervascular HCCs of the AP set, EP set, and combination set in group B (0.94, 0.81, and 0.93) was significantly higher than in group A (0.84, 0.69, and 0.80). Area under the ROC curve of the AP set and the combination set in group B (0.974 and 0.981) was significantly higher than in group A (0.939 and 0.958). CONCLUSION: At the same contrast material volume and injection rate, higher iodine concentration of contrast material was effective for detecting hypervascular HCCs by MDCT.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: To evaluate two different iodine concentrations of contrast material for detecting hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in cirrhotic liver by multi-detector row helical CT (MDCT) when a fixed contrast material volume and injection rate is used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. In this prospective study, 105 patients were randomly assigned a group A (an iodine concentration of 300 mg I/mL), and a group B (an iodine concentration of 370 mg I/mL). In both groups the volume of contrast material was 100 mL and the injection rate was 4 mL/s. Fifty-two patients had 122 hypervascular HCCs. The diagnosis of HCCs was established histopathologically (n=24) and by imaging findings (n=98). Three readers independently analyzed four image sets: an arterial phase (AP), a portal phase (PP), an equilibrium phase (EP), and combined all three phase images set. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: The mean sensitivity for detecting hypervascular HCCs of the AP set, EP set, and combination set in group B (0.94, 0.81, and 0.93) was significantly higher than in group A (0.84, 0.69, and 0.80). Area under the ROC curve of the AP set and the combination set in group B (0.974 and 0.981) was significantly higher than in group A (0.939 and 0.958). CONCLUSION: At the same contrast material volume and injection rate, higher iodine concentration of contrast material was effective for detecting hypervascular HCCs by MDCT.