MR imaging features of liver involvement by Wilson disease in adult patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presentation of liver involvement in adult patients with Wilson disease (WD) and determine the most indicative appearance of this condition on MRI using a retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
MRI examinations of 23 adult patients with WD (14 men, 9 women; mean age = 40.4 years) were analyzed by two blinded observers and compared to those obtained in 23 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (14 men, 9 women, mean age = 40.4 years) who were matched for age, gender and severity of chronic liver disease. Images were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed with respect to imaging presentation. Comparisons were performed using univariate analysis.


RESULTS
Honeycomb pattern of hepatic parenchyma was the most discriminating independent variable for the diagnosis of WD (odds ratio, 17.082; 95 % CI 2.092-139.497) (P = 0.0081) but had a sensitivity of 43 % (10/23; 95 % CI 23-66 %). Regular liver contours was the other variable that strongly correlated with the presence of liver involvement by WD (odds ratio, 11.939; 95 % CI 1.503-94.836) (P = 0.0190).


CONCLUSIONS
The honeycomb pattern is the most discriminating independent variable for the diagnosis of liver involvement by WD but has limited sensitivity. Familiarity with this finding may clarify the cause of diffuse hepatic parenchymal abnormalities in patients with unknown WD.
Department of Body and Interventional Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cedex 10, France.
Ottavia
O
Vargas
Department of Radiology, Centre Pierre et Marie Curie, Place du 1er Mai, 16016, Alger, Algeria.
Sid Ahmed
SA
Faraoun
Department of Body and Interventional Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cedex 10, France.
Raphael
R
Dautry
Department of Body and Interventional Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cedex 10, France.
Youcef
Y
Guerrache
CNR Wilson-Service de Neurologie Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cédex 10, France.
France
F
Woimant
Department of Body and Interventional Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cedex 10, France.
Lounis
L
Hamzi
Department of Body and Interventional Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cedex 10, France.
Mourad
M
Boudiaf
CNR Wilson-Service de Neurologie Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, 75475, Paris Cédex 10, France.
Aurelia
A
Poujois
Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne-Paris Cité, 10 rue de Verdun, 75010, Paris, France. philippe.soyer@lrb.aphp.fr.|UMR INSERM 965, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 rue Amboise Paré, 75010, Paris, France. philippe.soyer@lrb.aphp.fr.
Philippe
P
Soyer
Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne-Paris Cité, 10 rue de Verdun, 75010, Paris, France.|UMR INSERM 965, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 rue Amboise Paré, 75010, Paris, France.
Anthony
A
Dohan
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
Case–control studies; Chronic hepatitis; Hepatolenticular degeneration; Magnetic resonance imaging; Wilson disease