Preoperative 3D rendering of MR imaging in liver metastases

In 15 patients who were to undergo resection of hepatic metastases, three-dimensional (3D) images of the liver were rendered from axial T2-weighted MR images by a dedicated 3D workstation. This report assesses the utility of these images in preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance. In three patients, the preoperative 3D images convinced the surgeon of resectability. All patients had laparotomies and in 12 patients, in whom the liver lesions were evaluated, there was good to excellent spatial correlation. Intraoperatively, the 3D images aided the surgeon by allowing early detection of unresectability, by showing relationships of lesions to major vessels, and by directing the surgeon to lesions otherwise difficult to find. In two patients, the original MR images failed to show multiple small lesions, thus limiting the usefulness of the 3D images.