Copper concentration in hyperintense hepatocellular carcinomas of Long-Evans Cinnamon rats on T1-weighted images

The Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEG) rat has abnormal intrahepatic copper accumulation and spontaneously develops hepatocellular carcinomas following hereditary hepatitis, The hepatocellular carcinomas are very similar to human well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in histopathological features and on MR images, Copper is believed to be one of the causes of hyperintensity of hepatocellular carcinomas compared to surrounding non-cancerous tissues on T1-weighted MR image. Eight EEC rats were studied by MR imaging. We measured copper concentrations from the hepatocellular carcinomas and surrounding noncancerous liver tissues, Signal intensity of hepatocellular carcinomas without cystic areas was iso-to slightly hyperintense relative to surrounding non-cancerous tissues on T1-weighted images, Histopathologically, most of the tumors resembled human highly or well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas. Copper concentrations of the hepatocellular carcinomas were lower than the surrounding non-cancerous liver tissues, Copper may not be the cause of increased signal intensity typically observed on T1-weighted images of hepatocellular carcinomas. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.