Histogram analysis of hepatobiliary phase MR imaging as a quantitative value for liver cirrhosis: preliminary observations.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether histogram analysis of the hepatobiliary phase on gadoxetate enhanced-MRI could be used as a quantitative index for determination of liver cirrhosis.


METHODS
A total of 63 patients [26 in a normal liver function (NLF) group and 37 in a cirrhotic group] underwent gadoxetate-enhanced MRI, and hepatobiliary phase images were obtained at 20 minutes after contrast injection. The signal intensity of the hepatic parenchyma was measured at four different regions of interest (ROI) of the liver, avoiding vessels and bile ducts. Standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and corrected CV were calculated on the histograms at the ROIs. The distributions of CVs calculated from the ROI histogram were examined and statistical analysis was carried out.


RESULTS
The CV value was 0.041±0.009 (mean CV±SD) in the NLF group, while that of cirrhotic group was 0.071±0.020. There were statistically significant differences in the CVs and corrected CV values between the NLF and cirrhotic groups (p<0.001). The most accurate cut-off value among CVs for distinguishing normal from cirrhotic group was 0.052 (sensitivity 83.8% and specificity 88.5%). There was no statistically significant differences in SD between NLF and cirrhotic groups (p=0.307).


CONCLUSIONS
The CV of histograms of the hepatobiliary phase on gadoxetate-enhanced MRI may be useful as a quantitative value for determining the presence of liver cirrhosis.
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jin-Young
JY
Choi
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Honsoul
H
Kim
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
Mark
M
Sun
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
Claude B
CB
Sirlin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
Cirrhosis; gadoxetate disodium; histogram; magnetic resonance imaging