Hepatocellular Carcinoma versus Other Hepatic Malignancy in Cirrhosis: Performance of LI-RADS Version 2018
Abstract
The LR-5 and LR-M criteria provide comparable performances for differentiating between hepatocellular carcinoma and other hepatic malignancy with the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System, or LI-RADS, version 2018.
Purpose
To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) version 2018 for differentiating between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other (hepatic) malignancy (OM) in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Materials and Methods
From 2008 to 2017, 55 patients with untreated OM and liver cirrhosis were eligible for this retrospective case-control study (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation] [range, 32−79 years], with 45 men [mean age, 58 years ± 11] and 10 women [mean age, 62 years ± 7]). Control subjects consisted of 165 treatment-naive patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [range, 29−80 years], with 134 men [mean age, 58 years ± 9] and 31 women [mean age, 59 years ± 11]). Two radiologists blinded to the final diagnosis independently determined the presence of LR-M features and major HCC features (non-rim arterial phase hyperenhancement, non-peripheral washout, and enhancing capsule). The diagnostic performances of each feature, the LR-M criteria (probably or definitely malignant, but not specific for HCC), and the LR-5 criteria (definitely HCC) were calculated and compared by using the generalized estimating equation method.
Results
Individual LR-M features had a sensitivity of 9%−71% and a specificity of 83%−97% for the diagnosis of OM. Major features of HCC had a sensitivity of 62%−83% and a specificity of 69%−89% for the diagnosis of HCC. The LR-M criteria had a sensitivity of 89% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81%, 97%) for diagnosing OM, with a specificity of 48% (95% CI: 40%, 56%). The LR-5 criteria had a sensitivity of 74% (95% CI: 67%, 81%) for diagnosing HCC, with a specificity of 89% (95% CI: 81%, 97%). The accuracy of the LR-5 criteria was higher than that of the LR-M criteria (78% [95% CI: 72%, 83%] vs 58% [95% CI: 52%, 65%], P <. 001).
Conclusion
The LR-5 criteria as well as the LR-M criteria can effectively distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma from other hepatic malignancy in patients with liver cirrhosis.
© RSNA, 2019
Online supplemental material is available for this article.
See also the editorial by Furlan in this issue.
References
- 1. . The LI-RADS adventure: a personal statement. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2018;43(1):1–2. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 2. LI-RADS 2017: an update. J Magn Reson Imaging 2018;47(6):1459–1474. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 3. ): definite or probable malignancy, not specific for hepatocellular carcinoma. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2018;43(1):149–157. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 4. CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018. American College of Radiology Web site. https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Reporting-and-Data-Systems/LI-RADS/CT-MRI-LI-RADS-v2018. Accessed August 12, 2018. Google Scholar
- 5. Differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma from other hepatic malignancies in patients at risk: diagnostic performance of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2014. Radiology 2018;286(1):158–172. Link, Google Scholar
- 6. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in patients with cirrhosis: differentiation from hepatocellular carcinoma by using gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging and dynamic CT. Radiology 2017;282(3):771–781. Link, Google Scholar
- 7. Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System with MR imaging: evaluation in nodules 20 mm or smaller detected in cirrhosis at screening US. Radiology 2015;275(3):698–707. Link, Google Scholar
- 8. Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System v2014 with gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: validation of LI-RADS category 4 and 5 criteria. Invest Radiol 2016;51(8):483–490. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 9. Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2014. American College of Radiology Web site. http://www.acr.org/Quality-Safety/Resources/LIRADS. Accessed November 19, 2016. Google Scholar
- 10. Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) version 2018: imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma in at-risk patients. Radiology 2018;289(3):816–830. Link, Google Scholar
- 11. . A GEE approach to estimating sensitivity and specificity and coverage properties of the confidence intervals. Stat Med 2001;20(9-10):1529–1539. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 12. Imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and combined tumor on MRI using liver imaging and data system (LI-RADS) version 2014. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2018;43(1):169–178. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 13. . Diagnostic accuracy of liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) v2014 for intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinomas in patients with chronic liver disease on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 2016;44(5):1330–1338. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 14. Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma: LI-RADS v2017 categorisation for differential diagnosis and prognostication on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging. Eur Radiol 2019;29(1):373–382. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 15. . Relative incidence of primary liver cancer in cirrhosis in Austria. Etiological considerations. Liver 1984;4(1):7–14. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 16. cHCC-CCA: Consensus terminology for primary liver carcinomas with both hepatocytic and cholangiocytic differentation. Hepatology 2018;68(1):113–126. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
- 17. Evidence supporting LI-RADS major features for CT- and MR imaging-based diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review. Radiology 2018;286(1):29–48. Link, Google Scholar
Article History
Received: Aug 25 2018Revision requested: Oct 8 2018
Revision received: Nov 6 2018
Accepted: Dec 6 2018
Published online: Jan 29 2019
Published in print: Apr 2019