Kristina Imeen Ringe1, Hueseyin Bektas2, Bastian Ringe2, Patrick Opherk1, Angela Reichelt1, Joachim Lotz3, Frank Wacker1, Bernhard Meyer1
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany; 2Department of General-, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover; 3Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Gttingen, Gttingen
The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the added value of the hepatocyte specific contrast agent gadoxetate disodium for characterization and staging of tumors in patients with malignant central bile duct stenosis. Intraoperative findings were used as gold standard. The results of our study show, that the application of gadoxetate disodium improves assessment of tumor extension, which is necessary to define tumor resectability. In this context images acquired in the late hepatocyte phase proved most useful for exact tumor delineation.