HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Taouli, B. Articles by Tobias, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Taouli, B. Articles by Tobias, H. Social Bookmarking                      What's this? Hotlight (NEW!) What's Hotlight?

Diffusion-Weighted MRI for Quantification of Liver Fibrosis: Preliminary Experience

¹ New York University Medical Center, MRI, 530 First Ave., New York, NY 10016.
² Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY.
³ Department of Pharmacology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our preliminary experience using diffusion-weighted MRI for quantification of liver fibrosis.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Diffusion-weighted MRI with single-shot echo-planar technique at b values of 50, 300, 500, 700, and 1,000 s/mm² was prospectively performed on 23 patients with chronic hepatitis and on seven healthy volunteers. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured in four locations in the liver. Liver biopsy results (n = 19) were retrospectively reviewed by two hepatopathologists in consensus to determine stage of fibrosis and grade of inflammation. A Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the ADCs between patients classified with respect to having stage 2 or greater versus stage 1 or less fibrosis and stage 3 or greater versus stage or less 2 fibrosis. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to assess the performance of ADC in prediction of the presence of stage 2 or greater and stage 3 or greater fibrosis.

RESULTS. Using a b value of 500 s/mm² and all combined b values, we found significantly lower hepatic ADCs in stage 2 or greater versus stage 1 or less fibrosis and stage 3 or greater versus stage 2 or less fibrosis. The mean ADCs (x 10^–3 mm²/s) with all b values were 1.47 ± 0.11 (SD) versus 1.65 ± 0.10 for stage 2 or greater versus stage 1 or less fibrosis (p < 0.001) and 1.44 ± 0.07 versus 1.66 ± 0.10 for stage 3 or greater versus stage 2 or less fibrosis (p <0.001). Hepatic ADC was a significant predictor of stage 2 or greater and stage 3 or greater fibrosis, with areas under the curve of 0.896 and 0.896, sensitivity of 83.3% and 88.9%, and specificity of 83.3% and 80.0% (ADC with all b values, 1.54–1.53 x 10^–3 mm²/s or less).

CONCLUSION. Diffusion-weighted MRI can be used for prediction of the presence of moderate and advanced liver fibrosis.

Keywords: cirrhosis • diffusion • fibrosis • liver • MRI

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Taouli, R. L. Ehman, and S. B. Reeder Advanced MRI Methods for Assessment of Chronic Liver Disease Am. J. Roentgenol., July 1, 2009; 193(1): 14 - 27. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Akisik, K. Sandrasegaran, S. G. Jennings, A. M. Aisen, C. Lin, S. Sherman, and M. P. Rydberg Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis by Using Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Measurements at 3.0-T MR Following Secretin Stimulation Radiology, June 9, 2009; (2009) 2522081656. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. Kandpal, R. Sharma, K. S. Madhusudhan, and K. S. Kapoor Respiratory-Triggered Versus Breath-Hold Diffusion-Weighted MRI of Liver Lesions: Comparison of Image Quality and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values Am. J. Roentgenol., April 1, 2009; 192(4): 915 - 922. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. Braithwaite, B. M. Dale, D. T. Boll, and E. M. Merkle Short- and Midterm Reproducibility of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Measurements at 3.0-T Diffusion-weighted Imaging of the Abdomen Radiology, February 1, 2009; 250(2): 459 - 465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Akisik, A. M. Aisen, K. Sandrasegaran, S. G. Jennings, C. Lin, S. Sherman, J. A. Lin, and M. Rydberg Assessment of Chronic Pancreatitis: Utility of Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging with Secretin Enhancement Radiology, January 1, 2009; 250(1): 103 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Le Bihan Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Perfusion MR Imaging: A Wake-Up Call Radiology, December 1, 2008; 249(3): 748 - 752. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Luciani, A. Vignaud, M. Cavet, J. Tran Van Nhieu, A. Mallat, L. Ruel, A. Laurent, J.-F. Deux, P. Brugieres, and A. Rahmouni Liver Cirrhosis: Intravoxel Incoherent Motion MR Imaging--Pilot Study Radiology, December 1, 2008; 249(3): 891 - 899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]