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Purpose: To investigate whether liver lobe based T2* values measured on gradient recalled echo T2*-weighted imaging are associated with the presence and Child-Pugh class of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. Methods: Fifty-six patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and 23 healthy control individuals were enrolled in this study and underwent upper abdominal T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. T2* values of the left lateral lobe (LLL), left medial lobe (LML), right lobe (RL) and caudate lobe (CL) were measured on T2*-weighted imaging. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the association between liver lobe based T2* values and the presence and Child-Pugh class of cirrhosis. Results: The T2* values of the LLL, LML and RL decreased with the progression of cirrhosis from Child-Pugh class A to C (r = -0.231, -0.223, and -0.395, respectively; all P < 0.05), except that of the CL (r = -0.181, P > 0.05). To a certain extent, Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction for multigroup comparisons showed that the T2* values of the LLL, LML and RL could distinguish cirrhotic liver from healthy liver (all P < 0.05), whereas the T2* values of the CL could not (P > 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the T2* value of the RL could best distinguish cirrhosis from healthy liver, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.713 among T2* values of the liver lobes, and that only the T2* value of the RL could distinguish Child-Pugh class C from A-B, with an AUC of 0.697 (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: The T2* value of the RL can be associated with the presence and Child-Pugh class of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To determine whether dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) could monitor progression of liver fibrosis in a piglet model, and which DCE-MRI parameter is most accurate for staging this disease. Materials and Methods Sixteen piglets were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis and underwent liver DCE-MRI followed by biopsy on the 0, 5th, 9th, 16th, and 21st weekends after modeling of fibrosis. Time of peak (TOP), time to peak (TTP), positive enhancement integral (PEI), maximum slope of increase (MSI), and maximum slope of decrease (MSD) were measured and statistically analyzed for the monitoring and staging. Results As fibrosis progresses, TOP and TTP tended to increase, whereas MSI, MSD, and PEI tended to decrease (all P < 0.05). TOP, TTP, and MSI could discriminate fibrosis stage 0 from 1-4, 0-1 from 2-4, 0-2 from 3-4, and 0-3 from 4; PEI could distinguish the above-mentioned stages except 0-3 from 4; and MSD could distinguish stage 0-3 from 4, and 0 from 1-4 (all P < 0.05). For predicting stage ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of MSI was largest among all parameters; for stage 4 AUC of TTP was largest. Conclusion DCE-MRI has the potential to dynamically stage progression of liver fibrosis. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:872-878. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [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]

Purpose: To investigate whether and how spleen size measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be used to stage liver fibrosis. Materials and Methods: Sixteen minipigs were used to prospectively model liver fibrosis staged by biopsy. Abdominal gadolinium-enhanced MRI was performed on the 0, 5th, 9th, 16th, and 21st weekend after beginning of the modeling. Splenic maximal width (W), thickness (T), length (L), and area (S) together with spleen volume (SV) and liver volume (LV) were measured on enhanced MRI and the ratio of SV to LV (SV/LV) was calculated. Spleen multidimensional indexes 1 and 2 were obtained by W × T × L and S × L, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to determine which parameter could best stage the fibrosis. Results: W, T, L, S, SV, index 1 and 2, and SV/LV tended to increase with increasing stages of fibrosis ( r = 0.46-0.796, all P < 0.001), and might predict liver fibrosis stage ≥1, ≥2, ≥3, and 4 (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.697-1.0, all P < 0.05). Among the parameters, splenic index 1, SV, and SV/LV might be best for predicting stage ≥1 (AUC = 0.941), ≥2 or ≥3 (AUC = 0.875 or 0.978, respectively), and 4 (AUC = 1.0), respectively. Conclusion: Spleen size measured on MRI could be used for staging liver fibrosis. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:540-547. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]