title: Vascular microinvasion from hepatocellular carcinoma: CT findings and pathologic correlation for the best therapeutic strategies.
abstract: Recurrence of HCC reduces survival rates in patients treated with surgery, and one of the most relevant risk factors for tumour recurrence is microvascular invasion (mVI). The identification of mVI on preoperative examinations could improve surgical planning's and techniques so as to reduce the risk of tumour recurrence. During our study, we have revised 101 CT examinations of the liver performed on patients diagnosed with solitary HCC who had surgical treatment and pathological analysis of the specimens for mVI in order to detect CT signs which could be reliable in mVI prediction. On CT examinations, the tumours were evaluated for margins, capsule, size, contrast enhancement, halo sign and Thad. From our statistical analysis, we found out that irregularity in tumour margins and defects in peritumoural capsule are the most significant characteristics predicting mVI in HCC. Every report on CT examinations performed on surgical candidate patients should include suggestions about mVI probability in order to tailor procedures, reduce tumour recurrence risk and improve survival rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. alfonsoreginelli@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reginelli
authors.affiliation: Niguarda Cancer Center - ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, University of Milano, Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanzulli
authors.affiliation: Niguarda Cancer Center - ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, University of Milano, Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sgrazzutti
authors.affiliation: Niguarda Cancer Center - ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, University of Milano, Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caschera
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Urraro
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cappabianca
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver oncology; Microvascular invasion; Multidetector computed tomography; Patient’s outcome; Therapeutic strategy