Clinical Evaluation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Assessing Therapeutic Effects in Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Toru Beppu, Michio Ogawa, Chitoshi Ohara, Shigeru Katafuchi, Yoshihiro Masuda, Shunsuke Kudo, Koichi Doi, Teishi Matsuda, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka*, Osamu Sano*

Department of Surgery II, *NTT Kyusyu Hospital

We evaluated the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma. In the patients with excellent therapeutic effects, the signal intensities of the tumor were increased on T1-weighted images and low-intensity tumors were encountered on T2-weighted images after TACE. The average tumor necrosis ratio after TACE was calculated as 86% on dynamic CT, 66% on dynamic MRI and 64% on DSA. The histological necrotic changes were correctly assessed with dynamic MRI, even in the are with good lipiodol accumulation. In addition, the tumor necrosis ratio in dynamic MRI was significantly correlated with the tumor regression ratio (r=0.47, p<0.05). In conclusion, wer recommend dynamic MRI as a modality for assessing the therapeutic effects of TACE using lipiodol.

Key words
magnetic resonance imaging, dynamic MRI, hepatocellular carcinoma, therapeutic effects in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, tumor necrosis ratio

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Toru Beppu Department of Surgery II, Kumamoto University Medical School
1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi 860-0811 JAPAN

Accepted
February 12, 1998

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