Optimal dose and injection duration (injection rate) of contrast material for depiction of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas by multidetector CT.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal dose and injection duration of contrast material (CM) for depicting hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) during the hepatic arterial phase with multidetector row computed tomography (CT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consisted of 71 patients with hypervascular HCCs. After unenhanced scans, the first (early arterial phase, or EAP), second (late arterial phase, or LAP), and third (equilibrium phase) scanning was started at 30, 43, and 180 s after injection of contrast material (CM). During a 33-s period, patients with a body weight < or =50 kg received 100 ml of non-ionic CM with an iodine concentration of 300 mg I/ml; patients whose body weight was >50 kg received 100 ml of CM with an iodine concentration of 370 mg I/ml. First, we measured enhancement in the abdominal aorta and tumor-to-liver contrast (TLC) during the EAP and LAP. Next, to investigate the relation between aortic enhancement and TLC during the LAP, two radiologists visually assessed the conspicuity of hypervascular HCCs during the LAP using a 3-point scale: grade 1, poor; grade 2, fair; grade 3, excellent. Finally, to examine the effect of the CM dose and injection duration on aortic enhancement during the EAP, we simulated aortic enhancement curves using test bolus data obtained for 10 HCC patients and the method of Fleischmann and Hittmair.

RESULTS

A relatively strong correlation was observed between aortic enhancement during the EAP and TLC during the LAP (correlation coefficient r = 0.75, P < 0.001). The 95% confidence intervals for the population mean for aortic enhancement during EAP in patients with tumor conspicuity grades of 1, 2, and 3 were 188.5, 222.4; 228.8, 259.3; and 280.2, 322.5 HU (Hounsfield Unit), respectively. Thus, we considered the lower limit of the aortic enhancement value for excellent depiction of HCCs during EAP to be 280 HU. To achieve an aortic enhancement value of >280 HU for aortic enhancement simulations during EAP, the injection duration should be <25 s for patients receiving a CM dose of 1.7 ml/kg with 300 mg I/ml iodine and <30 s for those receiving 2.0 ml/kg.

CONCLUSIONS

For excellent depiction of hypervascular HCCs during the hepatic arterial phase, the injection duration should be <25 s in patients receiving a CM dose of 1.7 ml/kg with 300 mg I/ml iodine and <30 s for patients receiving 2.0 ml/kg.