Hepatic transit time analysis using contrast enhanced MRI with Gd-BOPTA: A prospective study comparing patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer and healthy volunteers

Purpose: To find out if the hepatic transit time (HTT) shortening, which was already proven in patients with liver metastases by other modalities, can also be detected with MRI. Materials and Methods: The Patient group consisted of 20 subjects with liver metastases from colorectal cancer and the control group of 21 healthy subjects. Baseline and post contrast images were acquired before and after administration of Gd-BOPTA, using a T1-weighted bolus test sequence. Arrival times (AT) of the contrast agent for the aorta, the hepatic artery, the portal vein and one hepatic vein were determined. Based on arrival time measurements HTT were calculated. Results: All analyses showed significantly shorter HTT in patients with metastases compared with healthy volunteers (P < 0.05). There were no false positives using a threshold of 10.4 s for arterial to venous HTT. For aortal to venous and portal to venous HTT a threshold of 12.5 s and 4 s was calculated, respectively. No significant correlation between HTT and involved liver segments, overall volume of metastases or subject age was found. Conclusion: We conclude that HTT measurements using contrast enhanced MRI with Gd-BOPTA can detect hemodynamic changes due to metastatic liver disease from colorectal cancer.