Abstract:

ObjectiveTo probe the clinical value of 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy(31PMRS) in vivo at 3.0 Tesla in diagnosis of the benign and malignant masses. Methods31PMRS scanning with a single voxel was carried out on 35 benign tumors, 62 malignant ones and 13 hepatic abscesses. Intracellular pH value (pHi), and some metabolic parameters including phosphomonoester (PME), phosphodiester (PDE), inorganic phosphate (Pi), γ, β, and α adenosine triphosphate (ATP), lower energetic phosphate (LEP), and the ratios of PME/ATP, Pi/ATP, PME/PDE, PME/Pi, PDE/Pi and PDE/ATP were calculated. The differences in the metabolic parameters above between benign and malignant groups were analyzed. ResultsThe differences inγATP, which were 1?279.46±432.21 and 758.22±240.79 in benign and malignant lesions respectively, and Pi/ATP, 3.98±0.8 and 5.36±0.96, were identified statistically (P＜0.05), and so were the differences in pHi, 7.03±0.43，7.09±0.35 and 7.45±0.51 in benign, malignant tumor and abscesses respectively, and γATP, 1?260.71±407.72，758.22±240.79 and 1?268.62±444.10(P＜0.05). However, differences in other metabolic parameters among these groups were not found statistically (P＞0.05). ConclusionSuch phosphorus metabolites as γATP and Pi/ATP in HCC may be used to differentiate the benign and malignant masses, while pHi is helpful for the diagnosis of hepatic abscesses.

Key words:  Liver tumor; Hepatic abscess; Magnetic resonance spectrum