SPIO Administration May Increase the Conspicuity of Malignant Liver Nodules on Diffusion Weighted Imaging

Karthik Ganesan¹, Masoud Shiehmorteza¹, Ana Almeida¹, Shay Heaton¹, Claude Sirlin¹

DW imaging is considered one of the most sensitive techniques for detection of small (<=5mm) malignant nodules in the liver. However, some malignant liver nodules may have similar apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2 relaxation as liver and so may be difficult to detect on DW images. SPIO administration increases the ADC and also preferentially reduces the T2 of liver parenchyma. We hypothesize that administration of SPIO would increase the lesion to liver signal intensity on DW images by preferentially decreasing the T2 of liver relative to the malignant nodules and also by preferentially increasing the ADC of liver.