Spectral CT: preliminary studies in the liver cirrhosis

To investigate the value of spectral CT imaging in the diagnosis and classification of liver cirrhosis during the arterial phase (AP) and portal venous phase (PVP).

Thirty-eight patients with liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class A/B/C: n = 10/14/14), and 43 patients with healthy livers, participated in this study. The researchers used abdominal spectral CT imaging during AP and PVP. Iodine concentration, derived from the iodine-based material-decomposition image and the iodine concentration ratio (IC(ratio)) between AP and PVP, were obtained. Statistical analyses {two-sample t test, One-factor analysis of variance, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (A [z])} were performed.

The mean normalized iodine concentration (NIC) (0.5 ± 0.12) during PVP in the control group was significantly higher than that in the study group (0.4 ± 0.10 on average, 0.4 ± 0.08 for Class A, 0.4 ± 0.15 for Class B, and 0.4 ± 0.06 for Class C) (All p < 0.05). Within the cirrhotic liver group, the mean NIC for Class C during the AP (0.1 ± 0.05) was significantly higher than NICs for Classes A (0.1 ± 0.06) and B (0.1 ± 0.03) (Both p < 0.05). The IC(ratio) in the study group (0.4 ± 0.15), especially for Class C (0.5 ± 0.14), was higher than that in the control group (0.3 ± 0.15) (p < 0.05).The combination of NIC and IC(ratio) showed high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating healthy liver from cirrhotic liver, especially in Class C cirrhotic liver.

Spectral CT Provides a quantitative method with which to analyze the cirrhotic liver, and shows the potential value in the classification of liver cirrhosis.