Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Articles

A case with sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma and literature review

Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (SHC) is a relatively rare subtype of liver cancer reported in 1.8–2.0% of surgically resected cases. Previous studies have found that SHC was more likely to occur in patients who received repeated anticancer therapies, but the underlying mechanism has not been exactly illustrated. We report a case of a 62-year-old man with SHC. With the initial implication of abscess suspected liver mass by radiological exams (enhanced Computed Tomography and liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging), the patient underwent a laparoscopic pus debridement and biopsy. The diagnosis of SHC was considered by pathologists. After a short recovery, a second radical resection of the liver tumor and hepatic hilar lymph node dissection were conducted. Postoperative pathology revealed a tumor-free incisal margin and negative lymph node. The recovery of the patient was uneventful. When confronting an occasional liver mass with previous Hepatitis B virus infection, SHC should be included for a candidate diagnosis. If diagnosis is confirmed, high biological malignancy and poor survival should be expected. Surgery is still a main option to treat SHC.

Adaptive MRI-guided liver SBRT planning using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION)

Background: Ferumoxytol® (Feraheme, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA) is a super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle that is increasingly utilized off-label as a liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. In addition to its excellent safety profile in patients with impaired kidney function, this agent has the advantage of providing a functional assessment of the liver based upon its uptake within hepatic Kupffer cells proportionate to vascular perfusion, resulting in strong T1, T2 and T2* relaxation effects and enhanced contrast of malignant tumors, which lack Kupffer cells. The latter characteristic is especially important in patients who have undergone prior therapy, in whom the functional liver reserve may be overestimated by conventional imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to assess visibility of liver tumors and functional hepatic parenchyma utilizing SPION-enhanced 1.5T MRI during per-fraction adaptive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) planning on Elekta Unity Hybrid MR-Linac (Elekta; Stockholm, Sweden) in patients with pre-existing liver conditions.

Usefulness of Breath-hold DWI Focused on the Hepatic Dome in EOB-MRI

Respiratory-triggered-diffusion-weighted imaging (R-DWI) of the liver often results in poor image quality under the diaphragmatic dome on the cephalic side of the liver (hepatic dome) secondary to magnetic field inhomogeneity in liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Hence, the usefulness of additional breath-hold-DWI (B-DWI) focusing on the hepatic dome was investigated. A total of 22 patients (14 men and 8 women; mean age 69.0±11.7 years) who underwent ethoxybenzyl (EOB)-MRI at our hospital between July and August, 2022 using a 3.0 T MRI system were included. One radiologist and three radiology technologists visually assessed the visibility of R-DWI and B-DWI in the hepatic dome on a 4-point scale (1 to 4). Additionally, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the hepatic parenchyma on each DWI were compared. B-DWI improved visibility in the hepatic dome compared to R-DWI (2.67±0.71 vs. 3.25±0.43, p<0.05). No significant difference was found in the ADC values for each DWI. B-DWI has excellent visibility in the hepatic dome and is expected to complement R-DWI. Therefore, B-DWI is very useful as an additional imaging in EOB-MRI.

Efficient prediction and classification for cirrhosis disease using LBP, GLCM and SVM from MRI images

To enhance the specificity of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based cirrhosis stage-diagnosis, a method of diagnosis incorporating the scan image texture discovery with classification techniques are suggested. First of all the liver MRI images are preprocessed and Region of Interest (ROI) image field is retrieved from the MRI images and the Lloyd method is compressed and quantified. Then a Local Binary Pattern (LBP) process filtering the ROI image and then extracts the texture features of the LBP images from four directions with a twenty directional Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). After that, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique has been used for MRI image classification and cirrhosis disease prediction. The experimental findings indicate that the procedure suggested will diagnose hepatic cirrhosis correctly.

Strategies and Techniques for Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging: New and Pending Applications for Routine Clinical Practice.

Strategies and Techniques for Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging: New and Pending Applications for Routine Clinical Practice.

Clinical Significance of Liver MR Imaging.

MRI is widely used in clinical practice for detecting liver diseases. Since the introduction of gadoxetic acid, MRI has become the most effective modality for the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions. According to previous meta-analyses, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.97-0.99 for the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma (≥ 2 cm) by gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI. Moreover, the AUROC for the diagnosis of colorectal liver metastases was significantly high (0.98). Despite gadoxetic acid's drawbacks, its clinical utility outweighs them, making it the contrast agent of choice in routine liver MRIs. Moreover, clinically, liver MRI has become more prevalent for a quantitative assessment. Liver fibrosis can be evaluated using MR elastography; whereas, hepatic steatosis and iron overload can be evaluated using proton density fat fraction, with high accuracy and reproducibility. This article reviewed the usefulness of liver MRI, which can be a comprehensive imaging modality in clinical practice.

Liver T1 Relaxation Quantification Using a 3-Dimensional Interleaved Look-Locker Acquisition With T2 Preparation Pulse Sequence (3D-QALAS): Comparison With Conventional 2-Dimensional MOLLI.

Changes in liver magnetic resonance imaging T1 relaxation times are associated with histologic inflammation and fibrosis. To compare liver T1 measurements obtained using a novel single-breath-hold 3-dimensional (3D) whole-liver T1 estimation method (3D-QALAS) to standard-of-care 2-dimensional (2D) modified Look-Locker (2D-MOLLI) measurements. With institutional review board approval, research magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed in 19 participants at 1.5 T. T1 relaxometry of the liver was performed using a novel 3D whole-liver T1 estimation method (3D-QALAS) as well as a 2D modified Look-Locker (2D-MOLLI) method. The 3D method covered the entire liver in a single breath hold, whereas 2D imaging was performed at 4 anatomic levels in 4 consecutive breath holds. T1 measurements from parametric maps were obtained by a single operator, and region-of-interest area-weighted mean T1 values were calculated. Pearson correlation ( r ) was used to assess correlation between T1 estimation methods, and the paired t test and Bland-Altman analysis were used to compare agreement in T1 measurements. In 18 participants (1 participant was excluded from analysis because of respiratory motion artifacts on 3D-QALAS images), 2D-MOLLI and 3D-QALAS mean T1 measurements were strongly correlated ( r = 0.95, [95% CI: 0.87-0.98]; P < 0.0001). 2D-MOLLI T1 values were significantly longer than 3D-QALAS values (647.2 ± 87.3 milliseconds vs. 554.7 ± 75.8 milliseconds; P < 0.0001) with mean bias = 92.5 milliseconds (95% limits of agreement, 36.8, 148.2 milliseconds). Whole-liver T1 measurements obtained using a novel single-breath-hold 3D T1 estimation method correlate with a standard-of-care multiple consecutive-breath-hold 2D single-slice method but demonstrate systematic bias that should be considered or corrected when used in a clinical or research setting.

Kz-accelerated variable-density stack-of-stars MRI

This work aimed to develop a modified stack-of-stars golden-angle radial sampling scheme with variable-density acceleration along the slice (kz) dimension (referred to as VD-stack-of-stars) and to test this new sampling trajectory with multi-coil compressed sensing reconstruction for rapid motion-robust 3D liver MRI. VD-stack-of-stars sampling implements additional variable-density undersampling along the kz dimension, so that slice resolution (or volumetric coverage) can be increased without prolonging scan time. The new sampling trajectory (with increased slice resolution) was compared with standard stack-of-stars sampling with fully sampled kz (with standard slice resolution) in both non-contrast-enhanced free-breathing liver MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) of the liver in volunteers. For both sampling trajectories, respiratory motion was extracted from the acquired radial data, and images were reconstructed using motion-compensated (respiratory-resolved or respiratory-weighted) dynamic radial compressed sensing reconstruction techniques. Qualitative image quality assessment (visual assessment by experienced radiologists) and quantitative analysis (as a metric of image sharpness) were performed to compare images acquired using the new and standard stack-of-stars sampling trajectories. Compared to standard stack-of-stars sampling, both non-contrast-enhanced and DCE liver MR images acquired with VD-stack-of-stars sampling presented improved overall image quality, sharper liver edges and increased hepatic vessel clarity in all image planes. The results have suggested that the proposed VD-stack-of-stars sampling scheme can achieve improved performance (increased slice resolution or volumetric coverage with better image quality) over standard stack-of-stars sampling in free-breathing DCE-MRI without increasing scan time. The reformatted coronal and sagittal images with better slice resolution may provide added clinical value.

T1 mapping of the myocardium and liver in the single ventricle population.

Fontan associated liver disease (FALD) is an increasingly recognized complication of the single ventricle circulation characterized by hepatic venous congestion leading to hepatic fibrosis. Within the Fontan myocardium, fibrotic myocardial remodeling may occur and lead to ventricular dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 mapping can characterize both myocardial and liver properties. The aim of this study was to compare myocardial and liver T1 between single ventricle patients with and without a Fontan and biventricular controls. A retrospective study of 3 groups of patients: 16 single ventricle patients before Fontan (SVpre 2 newborns, 9 pre-Glenn, 5 pre-Fontan, 31% single right ventricle [SRV]), 16 Fontans (56% SRV) and 10 repaired d-transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Native modified Look-Locker inversion T1 times were measured in the myocardium and liver. Cardiac MRI parameters, myocardial and liver T1 values were compared in the three groups. Correlations were assessed between liver T1 and cardiac parameters. Myocardial T1 was higher in SVpre (1,056 ± 48ms) and Fontans (1,047 ± 41ms) compared to TGA (1,012 ± 48ms, P < 0.05). Increased liver T1 was found in both SVpre (683 ± 82ms) and Fontan (727 ± 49ms) patients compared to TGA patients (587 ± 58ms, P < 0.001). There was no difference between single left ventricle (SLV) versus SRV myocardial or liver T1. Liver T1 showed moderate correlations with myocardial T1 (r = 0.48, confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.72) and ejection fraction (r = -0.36, CI -0.66-0.95) but not with other volumetric parameters. Increased liver T1 at both pre- and post-Fontan stages suggests there are intrinsic liver abnormalities early in the course of single ventricle palliation. Increased myocardial T1 and its relationship to liver T1 suggest a combination of edema from passive venous congestion and/or myocardial fibrosis occurring in this population. Liver T1 may provide an earlier marker of liver disease warranting further study.

Convolutional neural network for automated segmentation of the liver and its vessels on non-contrast T1 vibe Dixon acquisitions

We evaluated the effectiveness of automated segmentation of the liver and its vessels with a convolutional neural network on non-contrast T1 vibe Dixon acquisitions. A dataset of non-contrast T1 vibe Dixon liver magnetic resonance images was labelled slice-by-slice for the outer liver border, portal, and hepatic veins by an expert. A 3D U-Net convolutional neural network was trained with different combinations of Dixon in-phase, opposed-phase, water, and fat reconstructions. The neural network trained with the single-modal in-phase reconstructions achieved a high performance for liver parenchyma (Dice 0.936 ± 0.02), portal veins (0.634 ± 0.09), and hepatic veins (0.532 ± 0.12) segmentation. No benefit of using multi-modal input was observed (p = 1.0 for all experiments), combining in-phase, opposed-phase, fat, and water reconstruction. Accuracy for differentiation between portal and hepatic veins was 99% for portal veins and 97% for hepatic veins in the central region and slightly lower in the peripheral region (91% for portal veins, 80% for hepatic veins). In conclusion, deep learning-based automated segmentation of the liver and its vessels on non-contrast T1 vibe Dixon was highly effective. The single-modal in-phase input achieved the best performance in segmentation and differentiation between portal and hepatic veins.

Utility of combined gadoxetic acid and ferumoxytol-enhanced liver MRI for preoperative detection of colorectal cancer liver metastases: a pilot study.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and resection of CRC metastases confined to the liver is the treatment of choice when feasible. Ferumoxytol is an off-label contrast agent that opacifies vasculature and may be helpful in distinguishing metastases from small hemangiomas and blood vessels on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI using a standard gadoxetic acid protocol and a combined gadoxetic acid/ferumoxytol protocol in patients with suspected colorectal hepatic metastases. In this institutional review board-approved, single-institution, retrospective study, eight patients underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI, supplemented with additional T1-weighted ferumoxytol enhanced sequences. Two radiologists in consensus identified all metastases using all available sequences, which served as the reference standard. Two different radiologists reviewed each exam twice, once using the standard protocol and once with additional ferumoxytol sequences. The detection rate was estimated as the predicted probability of a metastasis along with the 95% confidence interval (CI) using hierarchical logistic regression models. A total of 49 metastases were identified. The mean diameter was 10 mm, measured in greatest axial dimension (median=7 mm; range=2-70 mm). Readers 1 and 2 had detection rates of 69.6% (95% CI = 48.2-85.0) and 53.1% (95% CI = 35.2-70.3) for gadoxetic acid alone and 98.0% (95% CI = 86.3-99.7) and 83.5% (95% CI = 59.3-94.7) for combined protocol. In this preliminary investigation, adding ferumoxytol-enhanced sequences to gadoxetic acid liver MRI protocol increased the detection rate of CRC hepatic metastases and may aid in preoperative decision making.

Physical prehabilitation improves the postoperative outcome of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy in experimental model

Aiming to improve the postoperative outcome of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS), the effect of physical prehabilitation (PP) was investigated in experimental model. Male Wistar rats (n = 106) divided to PP and sedentary (S) groups underwent ALPPS. Changes in liver weight, Ki67 index and liver volume by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated. Liver function was assessed by laboratory parameters and 99mTc-mebrofenin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS). Utilizing endotoxemia model mortality and septic parameters were investigated. Liver mass (p < 0.001), Ki67 index (p < 0.001) and MRI liver volume (p < 0.05) increased in the PP group compared to the S group. Both standard laboratory parameters (p < 0.001) and HBS (p < 0.05) showed enhanced liver function in the PP group compared to the S group. The vulnerability of animals improved in the PP group, as mortality decreased (p < 0.001), while septic laboratory parameters improved (p < 0.05) compared to the S group in the endotoxemia model. Our study demonstrated for the first time the beneficial role of PP on not only volumetric but also functional liver regeneration and postoperative vulnerability after ALLPS.

Evaluating the role of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes: a Mendelian randomization study in Europeans and East Asians.

Whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) causes cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unclear and possible differences between ethnicities have not been thoroughly explored. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the role of NAFLD in CVD and T2D risk in Europeans and East Asians. We conducted a MR study using genetic predictors of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liability to NAFLD, aspartate transaminase (AST), liver magnetic resonance imaging corrected T1 and proton density fat fraction and combined them with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics of CVD, T2D and glycaemic traits (sample size ranging from 14 400 to 977 320). Inverse-variance weighted analysis was used to assess the effect of NAFLD in these outcomes, with sensitivity analyses and replication in FinnGen. We conducted analyses in East Asians using ethnicity-specific genetic predictors of ALT and AST, and the respective outcome GWAS summary statistics. In Europeans, higher ALT was associated with higher T2D risk (odds ratio: 1.77 per standard deviation, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.08), with similar results for other exposures, across sensitivity analyses and in FinnGen. Although NAFLD proxies were related to higher coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke risk, sensitivity analyses suggested possible bias by horizontal pleiotropy. In East Asians, higher ALT was possibly associated with higher T2D risk, and ALT and AST were inversely associated with CAD. NAFLD likely increases the risk of T2D in Europeans and East Asians. Potential differential effects on CAD between Europeans and East Asians require further investigation.

Case Report On Cirrhosis Of Liver

Introduction: - The liver is irrevocably damaged and replaced with scar tissue as a result of the late-stage liver disease cirrhosis. Scar tissue prevents your liver from functioning properly. Cirrhosis typically develops decades after the onset of chronic liver disease. Men experience it twice as frequently as women. Clinical Findings:-Weakness, loss of appetite, easy bruising, skin yellowing (jaundice), itching, and weariness are all symptoms of cirrhosis. Diagnostic Evaluation: -Blood test: - HB % = 9.3gm%, total RBC count = 2. 99cu.mm, total WBC count = 11800cu.mm, total platelet count = 1.23 lac cu.mm, total protein = 6.5g/L, total bilirubin = 15.8g/L, lymphocytes = 10%, monocytes = 0.2%, albumin =2.2. Peripheral Smear: - RBCs - Normocytic mildly hypochromic Platelets - Reduced on smear APC - 38000 cells/mm³ as per cell counter no Haem parasite seen. Ultrasonography:- Options include liver needle biopsy, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). an innovative imaging technique called electrography. Therapeutic Intervention: - Inj. Albumin 20% × OD, Inj. Vitamin K 10mg ×OD, Inj. Optineuron ×OD, Inj. Pan 40mg × OD, Inj. Emset 4mg × SOS, Inj. Levoflox 500mg × OD.&#x0D; Outcome: - After treatment the patient show&#x0D; Improvement. His appetite is improved and skin condition is also improved and his Weakness is reduced.&#x0D; Conclusion:- With a known case of liver cirrhosis, the patient was admitted to the hospital with complaints of weakness, loss of appetite, easy bruising, jaundice, itching, and weariness. His condition improved after receiving the proper care.

Modern Possibilities of Liver Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images in the Diagnosis of Alcoholic Liver Disease

Objective: to evaluate the current possibilities of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD).Material and methods. The examined patients were at the inpatient and outpatient stages of observation in the gastroenterology department on the basis of the Clinical Hospital No. 1 (Smolensk) and received treatment for diffuse liver diseases of alcoholic etiology. The study included 128 patients: 76 (59%) males and 52 (41%) females, mean age 42.3 ± 4.7 years. Patients were monitored from 2019 to 2022. All of them underwent abdominal organs ultrasound with liver clinical elastography and liver MRI with DWI; in 34 cases liver multi-slice computed tomography was performed.Results. When comparing the results of a qualitative assessment of liver DWI MRI with the CAGE (Cut, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) test data and the results of patients and relatives survey about the use of alcoholic beverages, a high correlation was established between the diffusion restriction in the liver during MRI and impaired withdrawal regimen (r = 0.901). The diagnostic and prognostic significance of the developed criteria for liver DWI MRI in patients with ALD at admission was assessed: for qualitative assessment AUROC 0.827 (95% CI 0.792–0.873), for quantitative assessment AUROC 0.949 (95% CI 0.912–0.981); in dynamic observation: for qualitative assessment AUROC 0.958 (95% CI 0.925–0.984), for quantitative assessment AUROC 0.947 (95% CI 0.947–0.981).Conclusion. The obtained quantitative indicators of liver DWI MRI make it possible to predict the clinical form of ALD: apparent diffusion coefficient for steatosis is 2.66 ± 0.9 × 10–3 mm2/s, for steatohepatitis – 2.14 ± 0.5 × 10–3 mm2/s, for hepatitis – 1.75 ± 0.6 × 10–3 mm2/s, for cirrhosis – 1.15 ± 0.6 × 10–3 mm2/s (AUROC 0.948; 95% CI 0.922–0.983). Qualitative parameters of liver DWI MRI (there is/is not a diffusion restriction) predict violations of the withdrawal regimen in patients with ALD in all its clinical forms (AUROC 0.931; 95% CI 0.822–0.979).

Multiomics study of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and its sequelae are growing health problems. We performed a genome-wide association study of NAFL, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and integrated the findings with expression and proteomic data. For NAFL, we utilized 9,491 clinical cases and proton density fat fraction extracted from 36,116 liver magnetic resonance images. We identified 18 sequence variants associated with NAFL and 4 with cirrhosis, and found rare, protective, predicted loss-of-function variants in MTARC1 and GPAM, underscoring them as potential drug targets. We leveraged messenger RNA expression, splicing and predicted coding effects to identify 16 putative causal genes, of which many are implicated in lipid metabolism. We analyzed levels of 4,907 plasma proteins in 35,559 Icelanders and 1,459 proteins in 47,151 UK Biobank participants, identifying multiple proteins involved in disease pathogenesis. We show that proteomics can discriminate between NAFL and cirrhosis. The present study provides insights into the development of noninvasive evaluation of NAFL and new therapeutic options.

Cell sorting microbeads as novel contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging

The success of several cell-based therapies and prevalent use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the clinic has fueled the development of contrast agents for specific cell tracking applications. Safe and efficient labeling of non-phagocytic cell types such as T cells nonetheless remains challenging. We developed a one-stop shop approach where the T cell sorting agent also labels the cells which can subsequently be depicted using non-invasive MRI. We compared the MR signal effects of magnetic-assisted cell sorting microbeads (CD25) to the current preclinical gold standard, ferumoxytol. We investigated in vitro labeling efficiency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) with MRI and histopathologic confirmation. Thereafter, Tregs and T cells were labeled with CD25 microbeads in vitro and delivered via intravenous injection. Liver MRIs pre- and 24 h post-injection were performed to determine in vivo tracking feasibility. We show that CD25 microbeads exhibit T2 signal decay properties similar to other iron oxide contrast agents. CD25 microbeads are readily internalized by Tregs and can be detected by non-invasive MRI with dose dependent T2 signal suppression. Systemically injected labeled Tregs can be detected in the liver 24 h post-injection, contrary to T cell control. Our CD25 microbead-based labeling method is an effective tool for Treg tagging, yielding detectable MR signal change in cell phantoms and in vivo. This novel cellular tracking method will be key in tracking the fate of Tregs in inflammatory pathologies and solid organ transplantation.

Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI-derived functional liver imaging score (FLIS) and spleen diameter predict outcomes in ACLD.

Functional liver imaging score (FLIS) - derived from gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI - correlates with liver function and independently predicts liver-related mortality in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), while splenic craniocaudal diameter (SCCD) is a marker of portal hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of a combination of FLIS and SCCD for predicting hepatic decompensation, acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and mortality in patients with advanced CLD (ACLD). We included 397 patients with CLD who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI. The FLIS was calculated by summing the points (0-2) of 3 hepatobiliary-phase features: hepatic enhancement, biliary excretion, and portal vein signal intensity. Patients were stratified into 3 groups according to liver fibrosis severity and presence/history of hepatic decompensation: non-ACLD, compensated ACLD (cACLD), and decompensated ACLD (dACLD). SCCD showed excellent intra- and inter-reader agreement. Importantly, SCCD was an independent risk factor for hepatic decompensation in patients with cACLD (per cm; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.04-1.23; p= 0.004). Patients with cACLD and a FLIS of 0-3 points and/or a SCCD of >13cm were at increased risk of hepatic decompensation (aHR 3.07; 95% CI 1.43-6.59; p= 0.004). In patients with dACLD, a FLIS of 0-3 was independently associated with an increased risk of ACLF (aHR 2.81; 95% CI 1.16-6.84; p= 0.02), even after adjusting for other prognostic factors. Finally, a FLIS and SCCD-based algorithm was independently predictive of transplant-free mortality and stratified the probability of transplant-free survival (TFS) in ACLD (p <0.001): FLIS 4-6 and SCCD ≤13cm (5-year TFS of 84%) vs. FLIS 4-6 and SCCD >13cm (5-year TFS of 70%) vs. FLIS 0-3 (5-year TFS of 24%). The FLIS and SCCD are simple imaging markers that provide complementary information for risk stratification in patients with compensated and decompensated ACLD. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to assess the state of the liver. Previously the functional liver imaging score, which is based on MRI criteria, was developed as a measure of liver function and to predict the risk of liver-related complications or death. By combining this score with a measurement of spleen diameter, also using MRI, we generated an algorithm that could predict the risk of adverse liver-related outcomes in patients with advanced chronic liver disease.

Liver magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of response to treatment after stereotactic body radiation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUNDAlthough stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is increasingly used, its application has not yet been regulated by the main international guidelines, leaving the decision to multidisciplinary teams.AIMTo assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with SBRT, highlighting the efficacy of the treatment and the main aspects of the lesion before and after the procedure.METHODSAs part of a retrospective study, 49 patients who underwent SBRT for HCC between January 2013 and November 2019 were recruited. Each patient underwent a pre-treatment MRI examination with a hepatospecific contrast agent and a similar follow-up examination within 6 mo of therapy. In addition, 22 patients underwent a second follow-up examination after the first 6 mo. The following characteristics were analysed: Features analysed compared to pre-treatment MRI examination, presence or absence of infield and outfield progression, ring-like enhancement, signal hyperintensity in T2-weighted sequences in the perilesional parenchyma, capsular retraction, and "band" signal hypointensity in T1-weighted gradient echo fat saturated sequences obtained during hepatobiliary excretion.RESULTSSignal hyperintensity in the T2-weighted sequences showed a statistically significant reduction in the number of lesions at the post-SBRT first control (P = 0.0006). Signal hyperintensity in diffusion-weighted imaging-weighted sequences was decreased at MRI first control (P < 0.0001). A statistically significant increase of apparent diffusion coefficient values from a median of 1.01 to 1.38 at the first post-control was found (P < 0.0001). Capsular retraction was increased at the late evaluation (P = 0.006). Band-like signal hypointensity in the hepatobiliary phase was present in 94% at the late control (P = 0.006). The study of the risk of outfield progression vs infield progression revealed a hazard ratio of 9.CONCLUSIONThe efficacy of SBRT should be evaluated not in the first 6 mo, but at least 9 mo post-SBRT, when infield progression persists at very low rates while the risk of outfield progression increases significantly.

Is serum ferritin level or T2-sequence magnetic resonance imaging more effective in predicting liver iron in transfusion-dependent thalassemia cases?

Amaç: Transfüzyon bağımlı talasemi hastalarında aşırı demir yüklenmesi, sürekli şelasyon tedavisi ve demir düzeyi izlemini gerektiren bir durumdur. Serum ferritin düzeyinin tayini, demir yükünü takip etmek için basit bir yöntem olarak kabul edilmektedir. Bununla birlikte, karaciğer demir düzeyi tayininde manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) gibi yöntemlerin daha kesin olduğunu vurgulamaktadır.&#x0D; Gereç ve Yöntem: Talasemide demir yükünün anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunmak amacıyla, kök hücre transfüzyonuna hazırlık amacıyla karaciğer biyopsisi yapılan 14 transfüzyon bağımlı talasemi hastasının karaciğer demir düzeyi sonuçlarını karaciğer T2 MRG ve serum ferritin sonuçları ile karşılaştırıldı.&#x0D; Bulgular: Serum ferritin değeri ortalaması 2488,43±1520,18 mg/L idi. T2*MRG sonuçlarına göre karaciğer demir yükü değerlendirildiğinde sekiz hastada hafif düzey, beş hastada orta düzey, bir hastada ileri düzey demir birikimi saptandı. Modifiye Scheuer sınıflamasına göre biyopsilerde demir düzeyi iki hastada derece 1; yedi hastada derece 2; üç hastada derece 3 ve iki hastada derece 4 olarak değerlendirildi. Ferritin düzeyi arttıkça karaciğer demir biyopsi skoru da istatistiksel anlamlı olarak artmaktaydı (r=0,544 ve p=0,044). Karaciğer T2 MRG düzeyi ile karaciğer demir biyopsi skoru arasında ise istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve ters yönlü korelasyon mevcuttu (r=-0,724 ve p=0,003). Karaciğer biyopsi demir skoruna göre demir düzeyini ayırt etmede ferritin düzeyi istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmazken (p=0,096); T2*MRG ölçümlerine ilişkin ROC eğrisi altında kalan alan istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu (AUC=0,967; 95% CI: 0,880-1,000 ve p=0,005).&#x0D; Sonuç: Çalışmamızda serum ferritin ve T2 MRG sonuçlarının karaciğer biyopsisi demir düzeyi ile korele olduğunu saptadık. Ancak ferritin düzeyinin karaciğer biyopsisi demir düzeyini göstermede sensitivite ve spesifitesinin düşük olduğu, T2 MRG ise sensitivite ve spesifitesinin yüksek olduğunu saptadık.