Heterogeneous Enhancement Pattern in DCE-MRI Reveals the Morphology of Normal Lymph Nodes: An Experimental Study

Abstract EN

Purpose.

To investigate the heterogeneous enhancement pattern in normal lymph nodes of healthy mice by different albumin-binding contrast agents.

Methods.

The enhancement of normal lymph nodes was assessed in mice by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) after the administration of two contrast agents characterized by different albumin-binding properties: gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) and gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA).

To take into account potential heterogeneities of the contrast uptake in the lymph nodes, k-means cluster analysis was performed on DCE-MRI data.

Cluster spatial distribution was visually assessed.

Statistical comparison among clusters and contrast agents was performed on semiquantitative parameters (AUC, wash-in rate, and wash-out rate) and on the relative size of the segmented clusters.

Results.

Cluster analysis of DCE-MRI data revealed at least two main clusters, localized in the outer portion and in the inner portion of each lymph node.

With both contrast agents, AUC (p<0.01) and wash-in (p<0.05) rates were greater in the inner cluster, which also showed a steeper wash-out rate than the outer cluster (Gd-BOPTA, p<0.01; Gd-DTPA, p=0.056).

The size of the outer cluster was greater than that of the inner cluster by Gd-DTPA (p<0.05) and Gd-BOPTA (p<0.01).

The enhancement pattern of Gd-DTPA was not significantly different from the enhancement pattern of Gd-BOPTA.

Conclusion.

DCE-MRI in normal lymph nodes shows a characteristic heterogeneous pattern, discriminating the periphery and the central portion of the lymph nodes.

Such a pattern deserves to be investigated as a diagnostic marker for lymph node staging.