Clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The clinically diagnostic test was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 274 lesions in 250 patients with liver neoplasms who were admitted to the First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University from January 2017 to December 2018 were collected. There were 204 males and 46 females, aged (52±11)years, with a range from 22 to 78 years. Patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, and they received surgical resection or biopsy within one month. Images was read and analyzed by two senior radiologists for diagnosis. Observation indicators (1) imaging features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, including ① imaging features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, ② imaging features of Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, ③ enhanced imaging manifestation in different phases of 223 HCC lesions; (2) dignostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis, including ① sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rate of the three methods for HCC diagnosis and ② sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rate of the three methods for HCC diagnosis in lesions with different diameters. Count data were represented as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. With the pathological examination as the golden criteria of diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rate of the contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis were calculated.Results:(1) Imaging features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI. ① Imaging features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the 223 HCC lesions on contrast-enhanced ultrasound, 167 lesions were accorded with fast in fast out of HCC, 7 were missed diagnosed and 49 were misdiagnosed. Of the 51 non-HCC lesions on contrast-enhanced ultrasound, 7 lesions were accorded with fast in fast out, including 3 of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma, 2 of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 1 of neuroendocrine tumor, 1 of inflammatory granuloma, 44 lesions were no fast in fast out. ② Imaging features of Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI of the 223 HCC lesions on Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, 178 lesions were accorded with fast in fast out of HCC, 1 was missed diagnosed and 44 were misdiagnosed. Of the 51 non-HCC lesions on Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, 5 lesions were accorded with fast in fast out, inlcuding 2 of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 1 of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma, 1 of neuroendocrine tumor, 1 of inflammatory granuloma, 46 lesions were no fast in fast out. ③ Enhanced imaging manifestation in different phases of 223 HCC lesions. In arterial phase, 92.83%(207/223) of the lesions displayed hyper-enhanced on contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and 80.72%(180/223) of the lesions displayed hyper-enhanced on Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, showing a significant difference ( χ2=14.240, P<0.05). In portal vein phase or late phase, 78.48%(175/223) of the lesions displayed hypo-enhanced on contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and 96.41%(215/223) of the lesions displayed hypo-enhanced on Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, showing a significant difference ( χ2=32.674, P<0.05). On Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, 96.41%(215/223) of the lesions displayed low signals in portal-vein phase or late phase, and 98.21%(219/223) of the lesions displayed low signals in hepatobiliary phase, showing no significant difference ( χ2=1.370, P>0.05). (2) Dignostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis. ① Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rate of the three methods for HCC diagnosis the sensitivities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis were 74.89%(167/223), 79.82%(178/223), 94.62%(211/223), respectively. The specificities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis were 86.27%(44/51), 90.20%(46/51), 80.39%(41/51). The accuracy rates of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, or the combined examinations for HCC diagnosis were 77.01%(211/274), 81.75%(224/274), 91.97%(252/274). There were significant differences in the sensitivity and accuracy rate among the three methods ( χ2=33.499, 23.345, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the specificity among the three methods ( χ2=2.017, P>0.05). ② Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rate of the three methods for HCC diagnosis in lesions with different diameters 128 of 274 lesions had the maximun diameter>3 cm and ≤5 cm, 92 lesions had the maximun diameter >2 cm and ≤3 cm, 54 lesions had the maximun diameter≤ 2 cm. The sensitivities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for HCC diagnosis in lesions with the maximun diameter>3 cm and ≤5 cm, >2 cm and ≤3 cm, ≤2 cm were 81.19%(82/101), 76.92%(60/78), 56.82%(25/44), the specificities were 92.59%(25/27), 71.43%(10/14), 90.00%(9/10), and the accuracy rates were 83.59%(107/128), 76.09%(70/92), 62.96%(34/54), respectively. The sensitivities of Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI for HCC diagnosis in lesions with the maximun diameter>3 cm and ≤5 cm, >2 cm and ≤3 cm, ≤2 cm were 83.17%(84/101), 79.49%(62/78), 72.73%(32/44), the specificities were 96.30%(26/27), 85.71%(12/14), 80.00%(8/10), and the accuracy rates were 85.94%(110/128), 80.43%(74/92), 74.07%(40/54), respectively. The sensitivities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI for HCC diagnosis in lesions with the maximun diameter>3 cm and ≤5 cm, >2 cm and ≤3 cm, ≤2 cm were 95.05%(96/101), 96.15%(75/78), 90.91%(40/44), the specificities were 92.59%(25/27), 57.14%(8/14), 80.00%(8/10), and the accuracy rates were 94.53%(121/128), 90.22%(83/92), 88.89%(48/54), respectively. There were significant differences in the sensitivities for HCC diagnosis in lesions with the maximun diameter>3 cm and ≤5 cm, >2 cm and ≤3 cm, ≤2 cm among the three methods ( χ2=9.703, 12.777, 13.142, P<0.05). There were also significant differences in the accuracy rates ( χ2=8.051, 6.600, 9.826, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the specificies ( P>0.05). Conclusions:There was no significant difference in the dignostic performance for HCC diagnosis between contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI, and the combination of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI can improve the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy rate of HCC.