Moderate versus High Concentration of Contrast Material for Aortic and Hepatic Enhancement and Tumor-to-Liver Contrast at Multi–Detector Row CT

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate aortic and hepatic enhancement and depiction of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between two contrast materials with moderate and high iodine concentrations when administered at same iodine dose and injection duration at multi-detector row helical computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed patient consent were obtained. One hundred eighty-six patients were studied, and 67 patients with hypervascular HCC were identified. Ninety-four patients were assigned to receive iohexol 350 (mg iodine per milliliter) with protocol A; 92, iohexol 300 with protocol B. In both protocols, iohexol with same iodine load per weight (518 mg/kg) was administered with same injection duration (25 seconds). Multiphase CT scanning was started 10, 20, 50, and 180 seconds after the trigger (threshold level set at increase of 100 HU over baseline CT number of aorta). Enhancement of aorta and liver was measured in 186 patients. Tumor-to-liver contrast was measured in 67 patients with hypervascular HCC. Statistical analysis was performed with Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Medians of aortic enhancement during four phases were 325, 185, 112, and 69 HU with protocol A. Corresponding values were 344, 266, 121, and 73 HU with protocol B. During all phases, aortic enhancement was significantly higher with protocol B (P = .046, P < .001, P < .001, and P = .002). Hepatic enhancement during four phases was 6, 21, 48, and 34 HU with protocol A. Corresponding values were 3, 17, 47, and 35 HU with protocol B. Hepatic enhancement was significantly higher with protocol A during first and second phases (P < .001 for both), although there was no significant difference between protocols during third and fourth phases (P = .778 and P = .178, respectively). Medians of tumor-to-liver contrast during four phases were 22, 34, 0.5, and -1.1 HU with protocol A. Corresponding values were 23, 45, 0, and -8.6 HU with protocol B. Tumor-to-liver contrast was significantly higher with protocol B during second phase (P = .049), although there was no difference between protocols during other phases. CONCLUSION: When total iodine dose was adjusted to body weight and injection duration was fixed, rapid administration of moderate concentration of contrast material was more effective for depiction of hypervascular HCC than was high concentration of contrast material.