Perfusion computed tomography for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of dynamic perfusion CT (P-CT) for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the cirrhotic liver.

Twenty-six cirrhotic patients (19 men, aged 69 ± 10 years) with suspicion of HCC prospectively underwent P-CT of the liver using the 4D spiral-mode (100/80 kV; 150/175mAs/rot) of a dual-source system. Two readers assessed: (1) arterial liver-perfusion (ALP), portal-venous liver-perfusion (PLP) and hepatic perfusion-index (HPI) maps alone; and (2) side-by-side with maximum-intensity-projections of arterial time-points (art-MIP) for detection of HCC using histopathology and imaging follow-up as standard of reference. Another reader quantitatively assessed perfusion maps of detected lesions.

A total of 48 HCCs in 21/26 (81%) patients with a mean size of 20 ± 10 mm were detected by histopathology (9/48, 19%) or imaging follow-up (39/48, 81%). Detection rates (Reader1/Reader2) of HPI maps and side-by-side analysis of HPI combined with arterial MIP were 92/88% and 98/96%, respectively. Positive-predictive values were 63/63% and 68/71%, respectively. A cut-off value of ≥85% HPI and ≥99% HPI yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, respectively, for detection of HCC.

P-CT shows a high sensitivity for detection of HCC in the cirrhotic liver. Quantitative assessment has the potential to reduce false-positive findings improving the specificity of HCC diagnosis.

• Visual analysis of perfusion maps shows good sensitivity for detection of HCC. • Additional assessment of anatomical arterial MIPs further improves detection rates of HCC. • Quantitative perfusion analysis has the potential to reduce false-positive findings. • In cirrhotic livers, a hepatic-perfusion-index ≥ 9 9% might be specific for HCC.