Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations. The reference standard was pathological confirmation or a composite reference standard (only for benign lesions). Each participant underwent concurrent CT/MRI, SHF-enhanced US, and PFB-enhanced US examinations. The diagnostic performances for HCC of CT/MRI LI-RADS alone and three combination strategies (combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or a modified algorithm incorporating the Kupffer-phase findings for PFB [modified PFB]) were evaluated. For the three combination strategies, apart from the CT/MRI LR-5 criteria, HCC was diagnosed if CT/MRI LR-3 or LR-4 observations met the LR-5 criteria using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB.

Results: In total, 281 participants (237 males; mean age, 55 ± 11 years) with 306 observations (227 HCCs, 40 non-HCC malignancies, and 39 benign lesions) were included. Using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, and modified PFB, 20, 23, and 31 CT/MRI LR-3/4 observations, respectively, were reclassified as LR-5, and all were pathologically confirmed as HCCs. Compared to CT/MRI LI-RADS alone (74%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%-79%), the three combination strategies combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB increased sensitivity (83% [95% CI: 77%-87%], 84% [95% CI: 79%-89%], 88% [95% CI: 83%-92%], respectively; all < 0.001), while maintaining the specificity at 92% (95% CI: 84%-97%).

Conclusion: The combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS with second-line CEUS using SHF or PFB improved the sensitivity of HCC diagnosis without compromising specificity.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2024.0980DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

ct/mri li-rads
28
li-rads
17
li-rads shf
16
shf li-rads
16
li-rads pfb
16
pfb modified
16
high-risk patients
12
combining ct/mri
12
three combination
12
combination strategies
12

Similar Publications

Combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS With Second-Line Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Using Sulfur Hexafluoride or Perfluorobutane for Diagnosing Hepatocellular Carcinoma in High-Risk Patients.

Korean J Radiol

February 2025

Department of Ultrasound, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, China.

Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of combining serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) with LI-RADS (LI-RADS + AFP) on gadoxetate-enhanced MRI for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 3.0 cm and predicting post-surgical patient outcomes, compared to LI-RADS v2018.

Methods: Patients with hepatic observations ≤ 3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Contrast-enhanced US of High-Risk Indeterminate Focal Liver Observations Categorized as LR-4 or LR-M at CT/MRI.

Radiology

January 2025

From the Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 132 S 10th St, 763G Main Bldg, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (A.L., C.K.Y.E., T.S.X., S.K.R., C.E.W., K.B., J.R.E., F.F.); Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy (F.P.); Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy (F.P.); University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif (Y.K.); University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada (A.M.K., S.R.W.); Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pa (S.K.R.); Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn (V.P.); Stanford University, Stanford, Calif (A.K.); UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (D.T.F.); Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (A.B., I.P.R.); Department of Imaging Sciences, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (P.S.S.); and Department of Radiology, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom (P.S.S.).

Background Indeterminate focal liver observations in patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may require invasive biopsy or follow-up, which could lead to delays in definitive categorization and to postponement of treatment. Purpose To examine clinical effect of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) in participants with high-risk indeterminate liver observations categorized as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category LR-4 (probably HCC) or LI-RADS category LR-M (probably or definitely malignant but not HCC specific) at CT or MRI. Materials and Methods This was a secondary analysis of a prospective international multicenter validation study for CEUS LI-RADS (January 2018 to August 2021).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) now joins the ranks of CT and MRI for noninvasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CEUS LI-RADS provides greater than 95% specificity for diagnosis within LR-5. Unlike CT/MRI, CEUS is nodule based.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!