Optimal timing for delineation of hepatocellular carcinoma in dynamic CT.

Abstract

The aim of our study was to ascertain the optimal timing and scanning method for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a high density mass during the early phase of dynamic hepatic CT and to confirm its clinical effectiveness. We studied retrospectively 39 patients with clinically diagnosed HCC who underwent dynamic hepatic CT. All nine lesions that were scanned within 60 s after initiating injections were detected as high density masses. However, 15 of 21 lesions (71%) that were scanned > 70 s after initiating injections could not be detected as high density masses. Using helical scanning, which permitted scanning the entire liver within 60 s after initiating injections, 27 of 31 lesions (87%) were detected as high density masses. We concluded that most HCCs can be detected as high density masses during the early phase of dynamic CT using helical scanning.