Fast 3D dynamic MR imaging of the liver with MR SmartPrep: Comparison with helical CT in detecting hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma

Dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with SmartPrep was compared with dynamic enhanced helical computed tomography (CT) for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty patients with 49 HCCs were studied. Arterial-phase MR images using with SmartPrep were significantly superior to arterial-phase CT in detecting small lesions (≤2 cm) (85.3% vs. 67.6%, P<.05). In addition, in six recurrent tumors after arterial chemoembolization, dynamic MR imaging with MR SmartPrep technique was superior to helical CT in detecting of recurrent tumors.