ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the value of whole-liver MR perfusion imaging(MRPI)for early detection of coagulative necrosis after percutaneous ethanol injection(PEI)in rabbit liver VX_2 tumors. Methods VX_2 tumor cell suspension was inoculated into rabbit liver and liver VX_2 tumors[diameter of (2.6?0.6)cm]were induced in 10 male rabbits.MR T_1 WI and T_2 WI were performed to monitor the development of the liver tumor on the 2~(nd)and 3~(rd)week after inoculation.Whole-liver MRPI was performed in the 10 rabbits with liver VX_2 tumors before and 6 days after PEI therapy(1.0 ml ethanol was injected into the most enhanced tumor region under CT guiding).Signal intensity(SI)values of untreated tumor parts and treated areas 6 days after PEI were recorded respectively.The steepest slope(SS)and bolus arrival time (TO)of SI-time curves were measured.The t-Student test was used in statistical analysis of the data.Results There was significant difference in MRPI data between untreated tumor parts[TO:(16.0?1.2)s and SS: 38.9?2.2]and treated areas[TO:(50.8?5.9)s and SS:6.0?1.2]6 days after PEI(t was 15.8 and -39.6 respectively,P