DCE-MRI of hepatocellular carcinoma: perfusion quantification with Tofts model versus shutter-speed model—initial experience

Objective To quantify hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) perfusion and flow with the fast exchange regime-allowed Shutter-Speed model (SSM) compared to the Tofts model (TM). Materials and methods In this prospective study, 25 patients with HCC underwent DCE-MRI. ROIs were placed in liver parenchyma, portal vein, aorta and HCC lesions. Signal intensities were analyzed employing dual-input TM and SSM models. ART (arterial fraction), K trans (contrast agent transfer rate constant from plasma to extravascular extracellular space), v e (extravascular extracellular volume fraction), k ep (contrast agent intravasation rate constant), and τ i (mean intracellular water molecule lifetime) were compared between liver parenchyma and HCC, and ART, K trans , v e and k ep were compared between models using Wilcoxon tests and limits of agreement. Test–retest reproducibility was assessed in 10 patients. Results ART and v e obtained with TM; ART, v e , k e and τ i obtained with SSM were significantly different between liver parenchyma and HCC ( p