Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary liver cancer.Imaging is important for establishing a diagnosis of HCC and early diagnosis is imperative as several potentially curative treatments are available ...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary liver cancer.Imaging is important for establishing a diagnosis of HCC and early diagnosis is imperative as several potentially curative treatments are available when HCC is small.Hepatocarcinogenesis occurs in a stepwise manner on a background of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis wherein multiple genes are altered resulting in a range of cirrhosisassociated nodules.This progression is related to increased cellularity,neovascularity and size of the nodule.An understanding of the stepwise progression may aid in early diagnosis.Dynamic and multiphase contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging still form the cornerstone in the diagnosis of HCC.An overview of the current diagnostic standards of HCC in accordance to the more common practicing guidelines and their differences will be reviewed.Ancillary features contribute to diagnostic confidence and has been incorporated into the more recent Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System.The use of hepatocyte-specific contrast agents is increasing and gradually changing the standard of diagnosis of HCC;the most significant benefit being the lack of uptake in the hepatocyte phase in the earlier stages of HCC progression.An outline of supplementary techniques in the imaging of HCC will also be reviewed.展开更多
BACKGROUND Although important for determining long-term outcome, pathologic stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is difficult to predict before surgery. Current state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) usi...BACKGROUND Although important for determining long-term outcome, pathologic stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is difficult to predict before surgery. Current state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetic acid provides many imaging features that could potentially be used to classify single HCC as pT1 or pT2. AIM To determine which gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) findings predict pathologic stage T2 in patients with solitary HCC (cT1). METHODS Pre-operative EOB-MRI findings were reviewed in a retrospective cohort of patients with solitary HCC. The following imaging features were examined: Hyperintensity in unenhanced T2-weighted images, hypointensity in unenhanced T1-weighted images, arterial enhancement, corona enhancement, washout appearance, capsular appearance, hypointensity in the tumor tissue during the hepatobiliary (HB) phase, peritumoral hypointensity in the HB phase, hypointense rim in the HB phase, intratumoral fat, hyperintensity on diffusionweighted imaging, hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient map, mosaic appearance, nodule-in-nodule appearance, and the margin (smooth or irregular). Surgical pathology was used as the reference method for tumor staging. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of microvascular invasion or satellite nodules. RESULTS There were 39 (34.2%;39 of 114) and 75 (65.8%;75 of 114) pathological stage T2 and T1 HCCs, respectively. Large tumor size (≥ 2.3 cm) and two MRI findings, i.e., corona enhancement [odds ratio = 2.67;95% confidence interval: 1.101-6.480] and peritumoral hypointensity in HB phase images (odds ratio = 2.203;95% confidence interval: 0.961-5.049) were associated with high risk of pT2 HCC. The positive likelihood ratio was 6.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.788-21.845), and sensitivity of EOB-MRI for detecting pT2 HCC was 86.2% when two or three of these MRI features were present. Small tumor size and hypointense rim in the HB phase were regarded as benign features. Small HCCs with hypoi展开更多
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary liver cancer.Imaging is important for establishing a diagnosis of HCC and early diagnosis is imperative as several potentially curative treatments are available when HCC is small.Hepatocarcinogenesis occurs in a stepwise manner on a background of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis wherein multiple genes are altered resulting in a range of cirrhosisassociated nodules.This progression is related to increased cellularity,neovascularity and size of the nodule.An understanding of the stepwise progression may aid in early diagnosis.Dynamic and multiphase contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging still form the cornerstone in the diagnosis of HCC.An overview of the current diagnostic standards of HCC in accordance to the more common practicing guidelines and their differences will be reviewed.Ancillary features contribute to diagnostic confidence and has been incorporated into the more recent Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System.The use of hepatocyte-specific contrast agents is increasing and gradually changing the standard of diagnosis of HCC;the most significant benefit being the lack of uptake in the hepatocyte phase in the earlier stages of HCC progression.An outline of supplementary techniques in the imaging of HCC will also be reviewed.
文摘BACKGROUND Although important for determining long-term outcome, pathologic stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is difficult to predict before surgery. Current state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetic acid provides many imaging features that could potentially be used to classify single HCC as pT1 or pT2. AIM To determine which gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) findings predict pathologic stage T2 in patients with solitary HCC (cT1). METHODS Pre-operative EOB-MRI findings were reviewed in a retrospective cohort of patients with solitary HCC. The following imaging features were examined: Hyperintensity in unenhanced T2-weighted images, hypointensity in unenhanced T1-weighted images, arterial enhancement, corona enhancement, washout appearance, capsular appearance, hypointensity in the tumor tissue during the hepatobiliary (HB) phase, peritumoral hypointensity in the HB phase, hypointense rim in the HB phase, intratumoral fat, hyperintensity on diffusionweighted imaging, hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient map, mosaic appearance, nodule-in-nodule appearance, and the margin (smooth or irregular). Surgical pathology was used as the reference method for tumor staging. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of microvascular invasion or satellite nodules. RESULTS There were 39 (34.2%;39 of 114) and 75 (65.8%;75 of 114) pathological stage T2 and T1 HCCs, respectively. Large tumor size (≥ 2.3 cm) and two MRI findings, i.e., corona enhancement [odds ratio = 2.67;95% confidence interval: 1.101-6.480] and peritumoral hypointensity in HB phase images (odds ratio = 2.203;95% confidence interval: 0.961-5.049) were associated with high risk of pT2 HCC. The positive likelihood ratio was 6.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.788-21.845), and sensitivity of EOB-MRI for detecting pT2 HCC was 86.2% when two or three of these MRI features were present. Small tumor size and hypointense rim in the HB phase were regarded as benign features. Small HCCs with hypoi
