Murakami T, Kuroda C, Marukawa T, Harada K, Wakasa K, Sakurai M, Monden M, Kasahara A, Kawata S, Kozuka T
Department of Radiology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990 Dec;155(6):1227-31. doi: 10.2214/ajr.155.6.2122669.
To establish clearly the pathologic basis for small low-intensity nodules seen on MR images of the cirrhotic liver, we obtained MR images in 26 patients with cirrhosis in whom partial hepatectomy for hepatoma (15 patients), laparoscopy for cirrhosis (10 patients), or autopsy (one patient) was subsequently performed. Small low-intensity nodules were seen on gradient-echo images with short TEs (10-13 msec) in 13 of the 26 patients. In 12 of these 13 patients, small low-intensity nodules appeared larger and clearer as the TE was prolonged (14-25 msec). On T2-weighted spin-echo images, small low-intensity nodules were seen in 12 of the 13 patients, but not seen as well as on gradient-echo images. Pathologic correlation in these 13 patients revealed that the nodules on the MR images corresponded to iron deposits in regenerating nodules. Small low-intensity nodules were observed only on T2-weighted spin-echo images in two of the remaining 13 patients, in whom microscopic examination of the liver revealed marked inflammatory cell infiltration in the fibrous septa and no iron deposition. We conclude that small low-intensity nodules observed on MR images are caused by iron deposits in regenerating nodules, and that gradient-echo images with short and prolonged TEs are useful to confirm the presence of iron deposits in regenerating nodules.
为了明确肝硬化肝脏磁共振成像（MR）上所见小的低强度结节的病理基础，我们对26例肝硬化患者进行了MR成像检查，这些患者随后分别接受了肝癌部分肝切除术（15例）、肝硬化腹腔镜检查（10例）或尸检（1例）。26例患者中，13例在短回波时间（TE，10 - 13毫秒）的梯度回波图像上可见小的低强度结节。在这13例患者中的12例，随着TE延长（14 - 25毫秒），小的低强度结节显得更大且更清晰。在T2加权自旋回波图像上，13例患者中有
