The correlation of MRI findings with pathologic features in combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the MRI findings of combined hepatocellular cholangio-carcinoma(cHCC-CC)and their correlation with pathologic types. Methods Twenty-nine patients with surgical pathology-confirmed cHCC-CC(20 patients with 24 cHCC-CCs were categorized as classical, and 9 patients with 10 cHCC-CCs as subtypes with stem cell features)were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical features, morphological and MRI signal characteristics on T1WI, T2WI, dynamic enhancement patterns and diffusion-weighted imaging were evaluated in detail and compared these imaging findings with pathologic types. The ADC values of 17 patients with 24 cHCC-CCs were measured. The imaging features were compared by using t test and Fisher test. Results The average maximum diameter of classical type and stem cell feature type were (3.8 ± 2.5) cm and (4.5 ± 1.8) cm, respectively, there was no significant difference(t=0.749,P=0.462). Seven cHCC-CCs showed heterogeneously high signal and twenty-seven cHCC-CCs showed low signal on T1WI. Seventeen cHCC-CCs showed hypointense in the central with mixed high and low signal on T2WI. Twenty-one cHCC-CCs showed peripheral enhancement and 13 lesions showed heterogeneously enhancement during arterial phase. The enhancement pattern of quickly wash-in and quickly wash-out were seen in 17 lesions, the other 17 lesions showed reversal enhancement. Twenty-five lesions presented with pseucapsule. There was no significant difference in clinical features and MRI findings between the two pathologic tumor types(classical type versus stem cell feature type)except for the enhancement pattern in arterial phase and peri-tumoral bile duct dilatation(P<0.05).The mean ADC value of the tumors with stem cell feature type(1.41 ± 0.52) × 10-3mm2/s was mildly lower than that of classical type (1.60 ± 0.39) × 10-3mm2/s, and no statistical differences were found(t=-1.005,P=0.326). Conclusions The MRI findings of cHCC-CCs has specificity. However, it is not easy to distinguish the classical type and stem cell feature type of cHCC-CC only by MRI findings.