Optimization of hepatobiliary phase delay time of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for identification of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis of different degrees of severity

Table 1 Rates of hepatocellular carcinoma visualization varying with hepatobiliary phase delay time in patients with cirrhosis of different Child-Pugh scores n (%)

Grade of CP score	Sum of HCC foci	Signal intensity	HBP-DT
			5 min	10 min	15 min	20 min	25 min
A	32	+++	0	29 (90.6)	29 (90.6)	29 (90.6)	29 (90.6)
		++	24 (75)	3 (9.4)	3(9.4)	3 (9.4)	3 (9.4)
		+/-	8 (25)	0	0	0	0
B	12	+++	0	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)
		++	7 (58.3)	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)
		+/-	5 (41.7)	0	0	0	0
C	3	+++	0	0	0	0	0
		++	0	0	0	0	0
		+/-	3 (100.0)	3 (100.0)	3 (100.0)	3 (100.0)	3 (100.0)

+++: Obvious hypointensity; ++: Moderate hypointensity; +/–: Mild hypointensity or isointensity. CP: Child-Pugh score; HBP-DT: The delay time of the hepatobiliary phase; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.