Update on MR Contrast Agents for Liver Imaging: What to Use and When.

Contrast-enhanced liver MR imaging is an important diagnostic tool for many different liver diseases with the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing liver diseases typically far exceeding other imaging modalities. The safety profile of GBCA is excellent with minimal adverse events. Both extracellular and hepatobiliary contrast agents offer unique advantages and potential limitations. ECA is excellent for obtaining high-quality arterial phase imaging and can be particularly useful for the evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients. In contrast, hepatobiliary agent (HBA) can help distinguish FNH from adenomas, detect liver metastases, and provide biliary imaging due to their uptake within normal hepatocytes and biliary excretion.

Evaluation of clinical and imaging biomarkers for the prediction of new onset diabetes following pancreatic resection.

PURPOSE: To identify clinical and imaging biomarkers that can predict the new onset of diabetes mellitus (NODM) within 1 year of pancreatic resection. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 426 non-diabetic patients who underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2006 and 2016. Clinical characteristics and the patient's diabetic status at 1-year post resection were collected from the EMR. Imaging biomarkers included hepatic and pancreatic fat replacement, pancreatic calcifications, pancreatic duct diameter, pancreatic volume and body composition. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to demonstrate any predictive biomarkers of diabetes occurrence within 1 year of pancreatic resection. RESULTS: 135/426 (31.7%) patients developed NODM. The only significant clinical predictor was older age (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.002-1.039, p = 0.032). Imaging characteristics found to be significant included hepatic steatosis (OR 1.777, 95% CI 1.094-2.886, p = 0.02), larger reduction in pancreas volume (OR 0.989, 95% CI 0.979-0.999, p = 0.027), and greater preoperative visceral fat (OR 1.004, 95% CI 1.001-1.006, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Age, presence of hepatic steatosis, change in pancreatic volume, and preoperative visceral fat are independent predictive biomarkers for NODM following pancreatic resection.