PURPOSE: To assess the value of chemical shift gradient-echo (GRE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the fast low-angle shot (FLASH) technique to detect fatty metamorphosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three cirrhotic patients with 69 HCCs underwent MR imaging at 1.0 T with chemical shift GRE technique. Both opposed-phase and in-phase FLASH imaging with breath holding was performed, and the percentage variation in signal intensity of the nodules between the two images was calculated. RESULTS: Chemical shift GRE imaging depicted fat in 10 HCCs (14%). In these cases, the percentage variation in signal intensity increased notably and was 88.6%-369.3% (mean, 174.7%), which indicated fatty content (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 100% when compared with fine-needle aspiration cytology). In the remaining 59 nodules, the percentage of signal intensity variation ranged from 12.7% to -19.1% (mean, -4.0%). CONCLUSION: Chemical shift GRE MR imaging can be used to detect fatty metamorphosis in HCC.
PURPOSE: To assess the value of chemical shift gradient-echo (GRE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the fast low-angle shot (FLASH) technique to detect fatty metamorphosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three cirrhoticpatients with 69 HCCs underwent MR imaging at 1.0 T with chemical shift GRE technique. Both opposed-phase and in-phase FLASH imaging with breath holding was performed, and the percentage variation in signal intensity of the nodules between the two images was calculated. RESULTS: Chemical shift GRE imaging depicted fat in 10 HCCs (14%). In these cases, the percentage variation in signal intensity increased notably and was 88.6%-369.3% (mean, 174.7%), which indicated fatty content (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 100% when compared with fine-needle aspiration cytology). In the remaining 59 nodules, the percentage of signal intensity variation ranged from 12.7% to -19.1% (mean, -4.0%). CONCLUSION: Chemical shift GRE MR imaging can be used to detect fatty metamorphosis in HCC.