Small hepatocellular carcinoma: using MRI to predict histological grade and Ki-67 expression. Issue 8 (August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Y.; Chen, J.; Weng, S.; Sun, H.; Yan, C.; Xu, X.; Ye, R.; Hong, J.
• Is Part Of: Clinical radiology. Volume 74:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 653.e1
• Page End: 653.e9
• Publication Date: 2019-08
• Subjects: Medical radiology -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Radiology -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; Medical radiology; Radiotherapy; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2019.05.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-9260

Abstract

Abstract : AIMS: To investigate the predictive indicators of small aggressive hepatocellular carcinomas by examining the association between preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters and Ki-67 expression and histological grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with small hepatocellular carcinomas (tumour diameter: ≤3 cm, tumour numbers: ≤2) who underwent curative resection or biopsy after contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MRI were evaluated retrospectively. Signal intensity (SI) of the whole lesion and erector spinae muscle was measured quantitatively. Tumour-to-muscle SI ratio was calculated. The association between these MRI parameters and histological grade and Ki-67 level was then investigated. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between tumour-to-muscle SI ratio and histological grade in tissues captured during the non-enhanced T1-weighted ( p= 0.001), arterial phase ( p= 0.001), and portal venous phase ( p= 0.036) of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient ( p= 0.027). Arterial inhomogeneous enhancement was also correlated with high-Ki-67 expression ( p= 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative MRI may serve as a non-invasive tool for prediction of small, aggressive hepatocellular carcinomas, which may otherwise be treated conservatively. Highlights: Significant correlation between lesion-to-muscle SI ratio and histological grade of hepatocellular carcinomas. Arterial inhomogeneous enhancement was correlated with high-Ki-67 expression. Pre-operative MRI may serve as a non-invasive tool for prediction of small, aggressive hepatocellular carcinomas.