Follow-up result afters negative findings on unenhanced hepatic MR imaging for hepatic metastasis from rectal cancer.
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.
Lim
Joon Seok
JS
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Myeong-Jin
MJ
Lee
Kang Young
KY
Kim
Nam Kyu
NK
Choi
Jin-Sub
JS
Kim
Joo Hee
JH
Oh
Young Taik
YT
Kim
Won Ho
WH
Kim
Ki Whang
KW
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
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen