Limitations of GD-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI: can clinical parameters predict suboptimal hepatobiliary phase?

To establish cut-off levels of the clinical parameters, which would predict suboptimal 30 minutes delayed hepatobiliary phase (HBP) with high specificity.

This retrospective study included patients with chronic liver disease who underwent hepatocellular carcinoma screening with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 1 January 2011 and 30 November 2014. For each case, HBP was graded as adequate or suboptimal, based on Liver Image Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) criteria. The following laboratory data obtained within 3 months of the MRI date was extracted: total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and International normalised ratio (INR). Model For End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores were calculated as 3.78×ln[TB] + 11.2×ln[INR] + 9.57×ln[creatinine] + 6.43. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to establish cut-off values for predicting suboptimal HBP.

Of 284 patients, 242 (85.2%) patients (91; 57.6% male) had an adequate HBP and 42 (14.8%) patients (13; 61.9% male) had suboptimal HBP, with mean ages of 58.5±9.7 years and 55±12.7 years, respectively (p=0.096). Areas under the ROC curve for predicting suboptimal HBP were 0.85 (95%CI 0.79-0.91) for the MELD score, 0.88 (95%CI 0.82-0.93) for TB, and 0.91 (95%CI 0.86-0.95) for DB. Accuracy, positive likelihood ratios and cut-off values for predicting suboptimal HBP were, respectively: 86.7% and 11.2 for the MELD score ≥16.7, 88.2% and 28.7 for TB ≥4.3 mg/dl, and 91.1% and 36.4 for DB ≥1.3 mg/dl. SGOT, SGPT, and ALP were not statistically significantly different between the groups.

Cut-off levels of MELD score, DB, and TB can predict an suboptimal HBP with high accuracy. Prospective identification of patients with a high likelihood of an suboptimal HBP can help to avoid administering a more costly agent to patients who would not benefit from its unique properties.