Hepatic uptake index in the hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine penta acetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging estimates functional liver reserve and predicts post-hepatectomy liver failure.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine penta acetic acid-enhanced (Gd-EOB-DTPA) magnetic resonance imaging may be used to evaluate liver function. The aim of this study was to assess whether the signal intensity of Gd-EOB-DTPA magnetic resonance imaging may be used to predict functional liver reserve and posthepatectomy liver failure in patients undergoing hepatectomy for liver tumors.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective study on 137 preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA magnetic resonance imaging of patients undergoing hepatectomy between 2015 and 2018. Mean signal intensity of liver (L) and spleen (S) were measured on T1-weighted single-breath-hold 3-dimensional fat-saturated gradient echo sequences acquired 20 minutes after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration. The hepatocellular uptake index of liver volume (V) was calculated with the formula V([L/S] - 1) and was tested with several score systems for liver diseases and to the occurrence of post-hepatectomy liver failure.

Results: Patients with diseased liver had significantly lower values of hepatic uptake index in comparison with those with normal function. This was found for a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score ≤9 versus >9 (P = .04), combination of bilirubin and cholinesterases levels score ≤2 versus >2 (P = .02), albumin to bilirubin grades (P = .03), and Humanitas score ≤6 versus >6 (P = .03). Twenty-two patients (16%) developed posthepatectomy liver failure, and 2 (1.4%) died within 90 days. The hepatocellular uptake index was significantly lower in those patients with posthepatectomy liver failure (P < .01). Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed valuable hepatocellular uptake index ability in predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure (area under the curve = 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.92; P < .01), with a cutoff value of 574.33 (98% sensitivity; 83% specificity).

Conclusion: The hepatocellular uptake index hepatocellular uptake index measured on preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA magnetic resonance imaging identifies patients with diseased liver and predicts posthepatectomy liver failure. This index could be used to discern those patients at higher risk of complications after hepatectomy.