Gadoxetate Disodium (Gd‐eob‐dtpa) Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Dogs

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary hepatic tumor in dogs and is amenable to surgical resection in many cases. Unfortunately, overlap of sonographic findings between benign and malignant hepatic lesions typically requires more invasive diagnostic tests to be performed (e.g., biopsy for histopathology). The availability of a noninvasive diagnostic test to identify hepatocellular carcinoma would be beneficial. The use of a liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent such as gadoxetate disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA; Eovist® or Primovist®) has improved lesion detection in human patients. In this descriptive study, gadoxetate disodium contrast-enhanced MRI characteristics in dogs were evaluated in seven dogs (total of eight lesions). The imaging characteristics were variable with the exception of all lesions being hypointense to surrounding normal hepatic parenchyma on 3D T1-weighted gradient recalled echo images at all postcontrast time points. All lesions displayed signal intensity ratios less than 1, consistent with retained but impaired hepatocyte function. Hepatic lesions not identified on previous imaging were found in 3/7 patients which may affect surgical planning. In two patients, several hepatic nodules were identified during surgery which had not been visualized on MRI and were found to be benign on histopathology. This descriptive study reports the MRI characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in dogs using the liver-specific contrast agent gadoxetate disodium.

Assessment of hepatitis and fibrosis using Gd‐EOB‐DTPA MRI in dogs

“… 3 9 In study involving dogs, HCC and malignant nodules were hypointense under Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI during the hepatobiliary phase, compared with normal liver or benign lesion. 12 17 However, in the present study, RCEI of HCC showed no difference compared with that of benign tumour, including nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma. In one study involving humans, the expression of OATP during the hepatocyte phase decreased with increasing HCC grade, corresponding to a decrease in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement of lesions.…”

“… 13 The uptake of Gd-EOB-DTPA by hepatocytes peaked at 10 minutes after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA. 12 Another study described that SI of the hepatobiliary phase peaked at 26 minutes after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA. 16 However, several reports showed that SI of the hepatobiliary phase reached the plateau at 20 minutes after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA.…”

“… 7 In humans, ICG is a significant predictor of signal intensity in the bile duct during Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI. 6 In veterinary medicine, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI is used to diagnose HCC 12 and has been proven safe for use in healthy dogs. 13 To the best of our knowledge, no veterinary studies have assessed the relationship between liver function and contrast enhancement by Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI.…”

>b<Mutational evaluation of TP53 gene in the canine hepatocellular carcinoma>/b<: a comparative approach

“…Primary hepatic neoplasms represent between 0.6 to 1.3% of canine tumors (PATNAIK; HURVITZ; LIEBERMAN, 1980) and constitute up to 21% of liver diseases, being hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) the most common hepatic neoplasm in dogs (HIROSE et al, 2014;CONSTANT et al, 2016). Canine HCC is more recurrent in males, usually in animals older than 10 years (BURITICÁ; BARBOSA; ECHEVERRY, 2009).…”

“…Liver canine neoplasms represent between 0.6 to 1.3% of canine tumors (PATNAIK;HURVITZ;LIEBERMAN, 1980;PATNAIK et al, 1981a;TRIGO et al, 1982), being hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) the most common hepatic neoplasm (HIROSE et al, 2014;CONSTANT et al, 2016). Despite there is no clear evidence of a gender-related incidence and breed predisposition, higher risk to HCC has been related in male dogs older than 10 years and Shih-Tzu (Patnaik et al, 1981;Hirose et al, 2014).…”