MR-diffusion imaging in assessing chronic liver diseases: does a clinical role exist?

作者：Pasquinelli F; Belli G; Mazzoni L N; Regini F; Nardi C; Grazioli L; Zignego A Linda; Colagrande S^*

来源：Radiologia Medica, 2012, 117(2): 242-253.

DOI：10.1007/s11547-011-0730-5

• ADC
• D
• Diffusion
• DWI
• Perfusion fraction

Purpose. This study was done to evaluate whether and which of the magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) parameters - apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), diffusion (D) or perfusion fraction (f) - correlates with the degree of chronic liver disease progression. %26lt;br%26gt;Materials and methods. Twenty-eight patients were evaluated with abdominal MR-DWI from March to November 2010: seven healthy volunteers, seven patients with chronic liver disease F0-F2 (METAVIR score), seven F3-F4 Child-Pugh A, and seven F4 Child-Pugh BC, classified as groups 1-4, respectively. DWI acquisitions were performed during breath-holding (b = 0-150 s/mm(2) and 1,000) and free breathing (multi-b = 0-200-400-600-800-1,000 s/mm(2)). Using a double-blind control procedure, two observers estimated ADC, D, and f by applying a region of interest (ROI) in 4/12 sections in the middle-lower portion of the right hepatic lobe. Statistical analysis was done with analysis of variance (ANOVA). %26lt;br%26gt;Results. A reduction in the mean value of f, ADC(150) and, to a lesser extent, ADC(1,000) is shown to progress from healthy volunteers (group 1) to cirrhosis patients (group 4), with wide overlap among groups. There were no statistically significant changes of D. %26lt;br%26gt;Conclusions. Our results indicate that stratifying patients with chronic liver disease for clinical purposes cannot be done with DWI. However, there is a tendency among groups for reduced perfusion-related parameters as chronic liver disease progresses.

• 出版日期2012-3