title: Follow-up result afters negative findings on unenhanced hepatic MR imaging for hepatic metastasis from rectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the follow-up results after negative findings on unenhanced hepatic MR imaging in rectal cancer patients who have undergone locally curative surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From all pertinent imaging reports and medical records, we selected 255 patients who had negative results on unenhanced hepatic MR imaging. When selecting patients who had undergone curative resection, the following patients were excluded from the study: 1) patients in whom extrahepatic metastases were detected on preoperative staging work-ups, 2) patients in whom the surgery was judged to be non-curative due to peritoneal seeding or local aggressiveness. Cases with follow-up periods of less than 18 months were also excluded, as these cases were considered insufficient to confirm the negative outcomes. Thus, a total of 149 patients were ultimately enrolled in our study. The follow-up results of unenhanced MR imagings were assessed according to the assumption that the newly developed hepatic metastases had been false-negative lesions on preoperative MR image.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a median follow-up period of 29.3 months, 25 hepatic metastases were detected in 13 patients (8.7%), which indicated a negative predictive value of 91.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unenhanced hepatic MR imaging provides a high negative predictive value with regard to the detection of hepatic metastasis in the preoperative evaluation of rectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Myeong-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kang Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nam Kyu
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Sub
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joo Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Taik
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Won Ho
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Whang
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen