Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging of liver capsule and peritoneum

The ability to accurately depict tumor involving the peritoneum is critical to diagnosis and management in the oncology patient. Unfortunately, the small size of the peritoneal and liver capsular liver implants renders them difficult to image on helical CT scanning or nonenhanced MR imaging. Gadolinium-enhanced, fat-suppressed spoiled gradient-echo (SGE) MR imaging is exquisitely sensitive for the depiction of peritoneal tumors. Compared with helical CT scanning, the superior contrast resolution of fat-suppressed, gadolinium-enhanced SGE MR imaging makes MR imaging superior for depiction of neoplastic and inflammatory diseases involving these hepatic and perihepatic structures.