Objective To clarify relationship between signal heterogeneity on hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods From January 2014 to January 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, a total of 77 patients with the pathologically proved HCC underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI prior to surgery were included in this study. On the basis of the signal heterogeneity in the hepatobiliary phase, the included patients were designed to homogeneous hypointensity group and heterogeneous hyperintensity group. The disease-free survival time were compared between the 2 groups and it’s influencing factors were analyzed. Results Seventy-seven patients with HCC were included, including 45 cases of homogeneous hypointensity and 32 cases of heterogeneous hyperintensity. There were no significant differences in the age, gender, etiology, liver function, alpha-fetoprotein, differentiated degree, Child-Pugh grade, lesion diameter, lesion border, and number of lesions between the 2 groups (P>0.05). However, the HCC patients with heterogeneous hyperintensity had a later BCLC staging (P=0.001). The disease-free survival time of the patients with homogeneous hypointensity and heterogeneous hyperintensity was (17.0±9.8) months and (12.4±10.4)months, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the disease-free survival time in the patients with homogeneous hypointensity was significantly better than that in the patients with heterogeneous hyperintensity (P=0.020). The results of univariate analysis showed that the other confounding factors had no effect on the disease-free survival time of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (P>0.05) except for the signal of hepatobiliary phase (P<0.05). Furthermore, the hepatobiliary phase signal, BCLC stage, and degree of differentiation, which might be clinically considered as potentially influencing for the prognosis of patients with HCC, were included in the Cox multivariate proportional hazard regression model and found that the heterogeneous hyperintensity was still the risk factor of the disease-free survival rate in patients with HCC (P=0.047). Conclusion Signal heterogeneity on hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI is related to prognosis of patients with HCC, heterogeneous hyperintensity may indicate a lower disease-free survival rate.
ObjectiveTo investigate the value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI) in gross morphological classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsThe clinicopathologic data of patients with HCC who received surgical treatment in the Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2017 to December 2022 were retrospectively gathered. The Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI was performed before operation. Two radiologists independently assessed the gross morphological classification of HCC according to the imaging performance. The tumors were cut into sections in a coronal plane and were taken pictures for recording pathological features after operation. The tumors were assigned into 4 types according to the references and clinical experiences: single nodular type (SN), single nodular with extranodular growth type (SN-EG), confluent multi-nodular type (CMN), and infiltration type (IF). Matching degree of morphological classification was analyzed between by the Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI and resected specimen. The pathological features of 4 types of HCC were also analyzed. ResultsA total of 87 patients with HCC were included. The gross morphological classification by the Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI was 28 (32.2%) patients with SN, 28 (32.2%) patients with SN-EG, 21 (24.1%) patients with CMN, 10 (11.5%) patients with IF, which by the resected specimen was 33 (37.9%) patients with SN, 24 (27.6%) patients with SN-EG, 21 (24.1%) patients with CMN, and 9 (10.4%) patients with IF in the 87 patients with HCC. The Kappa’s coefficient of agreement between the results of Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI and postoperative resection specimens was 0.776 (P=0.199). There were statistical differences in the tumor diameter and microvascular invasion (MVI) among the 4 types of gross morphology classification (F=2.937, P=0.038; χ2=16.852, P=0.001), the MVI rate was highest and tumor diameter was biggest in the patients with IF among the 4 types of gross morphology classification (P<0.05). ConclusionsFrom the results of this study, the gross morphological classification of HCC is closely related to the tumor diameter and MVI. Results of Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI and postoperative resection specimens in assessing the gross morphological classification are good agreement. Therefore, an accurate preoperative planning and better therapy strategy for the patients with HCC can be provided according to gross morphological classification by preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI.