Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Using Texture Analysis on Combined-Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Images at 3.0T.

Purpose: To noninvasively assess liver fibrosis using combined-contrast-enhanced (CCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and texture analysis.

Materials And Methods: In this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant prospective study, 46 adults with newly diagnosed HCV infection and recent liver biopsy underwent CCE liver MRI following intravenous administration of superparamagnetic iron oxides (ferumoxides) and gadolinium DTPA (gadopentetate dimeglumine). The image texture of the liver was quantified in regions-of-interest by calculating 165 texture features.

Risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is low in patients with chronic liver disease exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents.

Purpose: To determine the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in a cohort of patients with chronic liver disease.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant study was performed at a single tertiary liver center. The study cohort comprised 1167 patients with chronic liver disease followed in a liver clinic and exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) between February 2004 and October 2007.

Hepatocellular carcinoma screening rates vary by etiology of cirrhosis and involvement of gastrointestinal sub-specialists.

Background: Regular screening of cirrhotic patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been suboptimal, but there is little data regarding specific risk factors for reduced screening.

Methods: From 1996 to 2010, patients with cirrhosis were retrospectively identified from outpatient gastroenterology and primary care practices. Data was obtained from the diagnosis of cirrhosis until the time of elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) or lesion suspicious for HCC, death, liver transplantation, or end of the data collection period.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in liver disease: a systematic review.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) may develop in patients with liver disease, a fact highlighted by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcements cautioning against the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in select liver disease patients. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to characterize the risk of NSF in patients with liver disease. All published articles on NSF from September 2000 through August 2008, were identified via PubMed searches and examination of articles' reference lists.

Noninvasive assessment of hepatic steatosis.

Hepatic steatosis, the accumulation of lipids within hepatocytes, is a common condition. The prevalence of its most frequent manifestation, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has been estimated to be as high as 35% in some populations. Currently, liver biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis and assessment of severity of hepatic steatosis, staging of fibrosis, and is the only modality able to differentiate bland steatosis from steatohepatitis.