Presence of a hypovascular hepatic nodule showing hypointensity on hepatocyte-phase image is a risk factor for hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To determine whether the presence of a hypovascular nodule in the liver showing hypointensity on hepatocyte-phase of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) is a risk factor for hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Forty-one patients with pathologically confirmed hypervascular HCC and 41 age- and gender-matched controls were retrospectively selected. These patients had undergone EOB-MRI at least twice: the latest EOB-MRI and EOB-MRI performed more than 6 months earlier. History of hypervascular HCC, presence of a hypointense hypovascular nodule in previous hepatocyte-phase MR images, percent prothrombin time, platelet count, serum levels of albumin, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, α-fetoprotein, and protein induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) were variables evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS:

Multivariate analysis revealed that serum albumin level (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.19 [0.06-0.57]; P = 0.0024), history of hypervascular HCC (8.62 [2.71-32.8]; P = 0.0001), and presence of a hypointense hypovascular nodule (4.18 [1.18-17.2]; P = 0.0256) were significant risk factors for hypervascular HCC.

CONCLUSION:

Patients with chronic liver disease showing a hypointense hypovascular nodule in the liver on hepatocyte-phase EOB-MRI have a high risk of HCC development.

• Authors: Shintaro Ichikawa, Tomoaki Ichikawa, Utaroh Motosugi, Katsuhiro Sano, Hiroyuki Morisaka, Nobuyuki Enomoto, Masanori Matsuda, Hideki Fujii, Tsutomu Araki
• Journal: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI (J Magn Reson Imaging) Vol. 39 Issue 2 Pg. 293-7 (Feb 2014) ISSN: 1522-2586 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23633285 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Contrast Media
• gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA
• Gadolinium DTPA

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (blood supply, pathology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Contrast Media
• Female
• Gadolinium DTPA
• Hepatocytes (pathology)
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis (pathology)
• Liver Neoplasms (blood supply, pathology)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (methods)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (pathology)
• Prognosis
• Reproducibility of Results
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Sensitivity and Specificity