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Definitive diagnosis of hepatic hemangiomas: MR imaging versus Tc-99m-labeled red blood cell SPECT

Journal Article · · Radiology; (USA)
Thirty-seven patients with 69 suspected hemangiomas found by means of computed tomography (CT) and/or ultrasound were studied with both 0.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and single photon emission CT (SPECT) with technetium-99m-labeled red blood cells. Using a criterion of perfusion-blood pool mismatch, SPECT readers diagnosed 50 of 64 hemangiomas and all five nonhemangiomas (sensitivity, 78% (95% confidence interval, 0.664 - 0.864); accuracy, 80% (0.69 - 0.877)). Qualitative analysis of lesion signal intensity on T2-weighted spin-echo MR images allowed readers to diagnose 58 of 64 hemangiomas and four of five nonhemangiomas (sensitivity, 91% (0.814 - 0.96); accuracy, 90% (0.807 - 0.951)). Because of the significantly higher cost of MR imaging and its inability to categorically differentiate hemangiomas from hypervascular metastases, the authors consider SPECT to be the method of choice for diagnosing hepatic hemangiomas. MR imaging should be reserved for the diagnosis of lesions smaller than 2.0 cm and for those 2.5 cm and smaller adjacent to the heart or major hepatic vessels; in such cases MR imaging was found superior to SPECT.
OSTI ID:
7063304
Journal Information:
Radiology; (USA), Journal Name: Radiology; (USA) Vol. 176:1; ISSN RADLA; ISSN 0033-8419
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English