[Natural history of small hepatocellular carcinoma: studied by MRI].
OBJECTIVE
To study natural history of small hepatocellular carcinoma (sHCC) and value of MRI in this research.


METHODS
From 1999 to 2002, serial MR imagings were performed in 192 patients with cirrhosis no less than twice in order to detect sHCC focus. Characteristic MRI findings of focus were analysed. Diameters of focus (D) were measured. Tumorigenesis detected time (T) was counted; T and D were analysed by statistics and tumor volume doubling time (T(d)) was calculated.


RESULTS
Fifty-eight new tumor foci in 33 patients were found, including 31 foci in 23 patients developed on the basis of cirrhosis, with a 12.0% cumulative tumorigenic rate of three years. The tumorigenesis detected time (T) was 386.9 +/- 256.4 days and the maximum diameter (D) was 2.258 +/- 1.074 cm. T was statistical correlated with D(3) (P < 0.01) and regressive formulas were established: D(3) = -2.69 + 0.058T (P = 0.0007), D(3) = -72.13 + 16.04lnT (P = 0.0064). Tumor volume doubling time was 20 approximately 279 days (mean: 104 days).


CONCLUSIONS
The percentage of tumorigenesis is high in patients with cirrhosis. Regular MRI examinations are necessary to detect sHCC early. The optimal interval time is 3 approximately 6 months.
Wang
Jian
J
Department of Radiology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Lu
Jian-ping
JP
Tian
Jian-ming
JM
Wang
Fei
F
Liu
Qi
Q
Wang
Li
L
Gong
Jian-guo
JG
Jin
Ai-guo
AG
Zeng
Hao
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged