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Objective: To explore spleen hemodynamic alteration in liver fibrosis with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), and to determine how to stage liver fibrosis with spleen DCE-MRI parameters. Materials and Methods: Sixteen piglets were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis staged by liver biopsy, and underwent spleen DCE-MRI on 0, 5th, 9th, 16th and 21st weekend after modeling this disease. DCE-MRI parameters including time to peak (TTP), positive enhancement integral (PEI), maximum slope of increase (MSI) and maximum slope of decrease (MSD) of spleen were measured, and statistically analyzed to stage this disease. Results: Spearman's rank correlation tests showed that TTP tended to increase with increasing stages of liver fibrosis (r = 0.647, P<0.001), and that PEI tended to decrease from stage 0 to 4 (r = −0.709, P<0.001). MSD increased slightly from stage 0 to 2 (P>0.05), and decreased from stage 2 to 4 (P<0.05). MSI increased from stage 0 to 1, and decreased from stage 1 to 4 (all P>0.05). Mann-Whitney tests demonstrated that TTP and PEI could classify fibrosis between stage 0 and 1–4, between 0–1 and 2–4, between 0–2 and 3–4, or between 0–3 and 4 (all P<0.01). MSD could discriminate between 0–2 and 3–4 (P = 0.006), or between 0–3 and 4 (P = 0.012). MSI could not differentiate between any two stages. Receiver operating characteristic analysis illustrated that area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of TTP was larger than of PEI for classifying stage ≥1 and ≥2 (AUC = 0.851 and 0.783, respectively). PEI could best classify stage ≥3 and 4 (AUC = 0.903 and 0.96, respectively). Conclusion: Spleen DCE-MRI has potential to monitor spleen hemodynamic alteration and classify liver fibrosis stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To determine whether spleen diffusion-weighted imaging ( DWI) parameters might classify liver fibrosis stage. Methods Sixteen miniature pigs were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis, and underwent spleen DWI by using b = 300, 500 and 800 s/mm2 on 0, 5th, 9th, 16th and 21st weekend after the beginning of modeling. Signal intensity ratio of spleen to paraspinous muscles ( S/ M), spleen exponential apparent diffusion coefficient (e ADC) and apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC) for each b-value were statistically analyzed. Results With increasing stages of fibrosis, S/ M for all b-values showed a downward trend; and spleen e ADC and ADC for b = 300 s/mm2 showed downward and upward trends, respectively (all P < 0.05). The area under the receiver-operator curve ( AUC) of spleen DWI parameters was 0.777 or more by S/ M for classifying each fibrosis stage, and 0.65 or more by e ADC and 0.648 or more by ADC for classifying stage ≥3 or cirrhosis. Among the spleen DWI parameters, S/ M for b = 300 s/mm2 was the best parameter in classifying stage 1 or more, 2 or more and 3 or more with AUC of 0.875, 0.851 and 0.843, respectively; and spleen eADC for b = 300 s/mm2 was best in classifying stage 4 with an AUC of 0.988. Conclusion Spleen DWI may be used to stage liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate liver lobe volumes and the ratios of liver lobe volumes to spleen volume measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantitatively monitoring and staging liver fibrosis. Methods:Animal study was approved by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sixteen minipigs were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis, and underwent abdominal gadolinium-enhanced MRI on 0, 5th, 9th, 16th and 21st weekend after modeling this disease staged by biopsy according to METAVIR classification system. On MRI, volume parameters including left lateral liver lobe volume (LLV), left medial liver lobe volume (LMV), right liver lobe volume (RV), caudate lobe volume (CV), and spleen volume (SV) were measured; and LLV/SV, LMV/SV, RV/SV and CV/SV were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed for staging this fibrosis. Results:LLV and CV increased with increasing stage of fibrosis (r = 0.711, 0.526, respectively; all P < 0.05). RV and LMV increased from stage 0 to 2 and decreased from 2 to 4; and RV/SV decreased from 0 to 1, increased from 1 to 2, and decreased from 3 to 4 (all P > 0.05). LLV/SV, LMV/SV and CV/SV decreased from stage 0 to 4 (r = -0.566, -0.748 and -0.620, respectively; all P < 0.05). LLV, CV, LLV/SV, LMV/SV, RV/SV, and CV/SV could distinguish stage 0–1 from 2–4 and 0–2 from 3–4 (all P < 0.05). Among these parameters, LLV and LMV/SV could best classify stage ≥2 and ≥3, respectively (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.893 and 0.946, respectively). Conclusion:LLV and LMV/SV complement each other in staging liver fibrosis, and both parameters should be used to stage this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]