title: Hepatocellular Carcinoma Histological Grade Prediction: A Quantitative Comparison of Diffusion-Weighted, T2-Weighted, and Hepatobiliary-Phase Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare quantitative assessments for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) histological grades using magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed magnetic resonance imaging data from 49 patients with 54 surgically resected HCCs (11 well differentiated, 29 moderately differentiated, and 14 poorly differentiated). We measured the lesion-to-liver relative contrast ratio (RCR) on diffusion-weighted (DW), T2-weighted (T2W), and ethoxybenzyl-hepatobiliary images. We also evaluated contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) on DW images, and the apparent diffusion coefficient. We compared the feasibility of these parameters in predicting HCC histological grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of both the DW RCR (97%) and DW CNR (97%) were significantly greater compared with those of the apparent diffusion coefficient (79%), T2W RCR (81%), and ethoxybenzyl-hepatobiliary RCR (80%) (P < 0.05, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DW RCR and DW CNR might represent accurate predictors of HCC histological grade.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of *Diagnostic Radiology, †Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, and ‡Pathology, Medical Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwasa
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitazume
authors.forename: Ukihide
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tateishi
authors.forename: Yukihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saida
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takemoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA