MRI of liver metastases from colorectal cancer vs. CT during arterial portography

Abstract

A prospective study was performed to compare, with a lesion-by-lesion analysis, the sensitivities of high field strength MRI and CT during arterial portography (CTAP) in detecting hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Twenty-one patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer were prospectively investigated by high field strength MRI (1.5 or 2 T) and CTAP. High field strength MRI was performed with pre and post gadopentetate dimeglumine enhanced T1-weighted SE sequences and T2-weighted SE sequences. All patients underwent partial hepatectomy and 37 metastases were surgically and pathologically proved. The metastasis detection rate (sensitivity) was 94% (35 of 37) for CTAP and 78% (29 of 37) for high field strength MRI. The 16% (95% confidence interval: 1-31%) difference in sensitivity between CTAP and high field strength MRI was statistically significant (p < 0.05, McNemar test). The use of gadopentetate dimeglumine did not improve the sensitivity of T1-weighted SE sequences. Since our study demonstrated significant difference in sensitivities between high field strength MRI and CTAP in our group of patients, we can conclude that high field strength MRI cannot replace CTAP in the preoperative evaluation of patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Computed tomography during arterial portography must be considered as the preoperative gold standard.