Prognosis of Small Hepatocellular Nodules Detected Only Hepatobiliary Phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA Enhanced MR Imaging as Hyperintensity in Cirrhosis or Chronic Hepatitis

Atsushi Higaki¹, Tsutomu Tamada¹, Akira Yamamoto¹, Hiroki Higashi¹, Akihiko Kanki¹, Yasufumi Noda¹, Tomohiro Sato¹, Katsuyoshi Ito¹

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis of small hepatocellular nodules which showed hyper-intensity at hepatobiliary phase but could not be detected at vascular phase and other conventional sequences of initial Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR imaging in patients with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis. As the results, there were no nodules which showed hypervascular transformation and significant enlargement during follow-up periods. Our results indicate that these hyper-intensity nodules in patients with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis may be observable lesions with clinical benignity.