['To assess whether, in patients with normal liver function, a hepatobiliary delay time of 10\xa0min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection is sufficient for lesion characterisation.', 'In 42 consecutive patients with suspected focal liver lesions, dynamic MRI was performed after intravenous Gd-EOB-DTPA, followed by hepatobiliary phases at 5, 10 and 20\xa0min. The following items were assessed at each hepatobiliary phase: parenchymal enhancement, contrast agent excretion in bile ducts, lesion enhancement characteristics (hypo-, iso-, or hyperintensity, rim enhancement, central non-enhancement), and contrast- and signal-to-noise ratios, separately for hypo- and hyperintense lesions.', 'Following enhancement, parenchymal signal intensity increased significantly up to 10\xa0min (86.3%, P\u2009<\u20090.001), and subsequently stabilised (86.5% after 20\xa0min, P\u2009=\u20090.223). Biliary contrast agent excretion was first observed in 2, 32 and 5 patients after 5, 10 and 20\xa0min respectively. Hepatobiliary lesion enhancement characteristics observed after 5\xa0min persisted during later hepatobiliary phases. CNR and SNR ratios increased significantly (P\u2009<\u20090.05) up to 10\xa0min after enhancement without further increase at 20\xa0min, in hypo- and hyperintense lesions.'] Is mR liver imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA : a delay time of 10 minutes sufficient for lesion characterisation?