Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging can Differentiate between Residual or Recurrent...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary liver cancer.
• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a standard treatment for HCC.
• Post-treatment evaluation of HCC requires differentiating recurrent tumor from post-ablation changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of IVIM-DWI MRI in evaluating abnormal enhancement at the margin of HCC after RFA.
• To compare IVIM-DWI parameters (D, D*, f) between recurrent HCC and the inflammatory reaction zone.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of IVIM-DWI MRI scans in patients with HCC treated with RFA.
• Quantitative comparison of D, D*, and f values in recurrent HCC and inflammatory zones.
• Statistical analysis using ANOVA and ROC curves to determine diagnostic efficacy.

Main Results:

• IVIM-DWI parameters showed statistically significant differences between recurrent HCC and the inflammatory reaction zone (P < 0.001).
• The diffusion coefficient (D) was lower in recurrent HCC ((0.65 ± 0.16) × 10-3 mm2/s) than in the inflammatory zone ((0.87 ± 0.05) × 10-3 mm2/s).
• ROC curve analysis indicated high diagnostic efficiency for differentiating these lesions, with D showing the best performance.

Conclusions:

• IVIM-DWI MRI is a valuable tool for differentiating recurrent HCC from the inflammatory reaction zone after RFA.
• The diffusion coefficient (D) is a key parameter for this differentiation.
• Further research may refine the use of IVIM-DWI in post-RFA HCC management.