Comparison of the diagnostic performance of imaging criteria for HCCs ≤ 3.0 cm on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI

Jieun Byun, Sang Hyun Choi, Jae Ho Byun, So Jung Lee, So Yeon Kim, Hyung Jin Won, Yong Moon Shin, Pyo Nyun Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background and purpose: Imaging-based diagnostic systems play important roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of recently updated imaging criteria for HCCs ≤ 3.0 cm on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: 493 nodules (399 HCCs, 24 other malignancies, 70 benign) 1.0–3.0 cm from 400 patients, including 322 male (mean age 59.3 ± 9.4 years) and 78 female (mean age 61.2 ± 9.0 years), at risk for HCC who underwent gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI between July 2015 and December 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Final diagnosis was determined histopathologically or clinically. The sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing HCC of the latest versions of four imaging criteria [Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS), European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center (KLCA-NCC)] were compared using generalized estimating equations. Results: In 331 only pathologically diagnosed nodules, the sensitivities of both the APASL (86.8%) and KLCA-NCC criteria (85.4%) were significantly higher than the sensitivities of the EASL (71.8%) and LR-5 (71.1%) criteria (p < 0.001 for each pairwise comparison). However, the specificity of LR-5 was significantly higher than that of APASL (92.2% vs. 70.6%, respectively; p = 0.011) but did not differ significantly from the specificities of EASL (84.3%; p = 0.634) and KLCA-NCC (78.4%; p = 0.107). Conclusion: Of the four international imaging criteria, LI-RADS and EASL showed high specificity but suboptimal sensitivity for diagnosing HCCs ≤ 3 cm. However, APASL and KLCA-NCC had a higher sensitivity but a lower specificity than LI-RADS and EASL.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)534-543
Number of pages10
JournalHepatology International
Volume14
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver.

Keywords

  • Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
  • Diagnostic algorithm
  • Diagnostic imaging
  • Diagnostic performance
  • European Association for the Study of the Liver
  • Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center
  • Liver
  • Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System
  • Magnetic resonance imaging

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