Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted imaging for preoperative evaluation of liver regeneration after hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma

To explore whether intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters could evaluate liver regeneration preoperatively.

A total of 175 HCC patients were initially recruited. The apparent diffusion coefficient, true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D^*), pseudodiffusion fraction (f), diffusion distribution coefficient, and diffusion heterogeneity index (Alpha) were measured by two independent radiologists. Spearman’s correlation test was used to assess correlations between IVIM parameters and the regeneration index (RI), calculated as 100% × (the volume of the postoperative remnant liver − the volume of the preoperative remnant liver) / the volume of the preoperative remnant liver. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify the factors for RI.

Finally, 54 HCC patients (45 men and 9 women, mean age 51.26 ± 10.41 years) were retrospectively analyzed. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.842 to 0.918. In all patients, fibrosis stage was reclassified as F0–1 (n = 10), F2–3 (n = 26), and F4 (n = 18) using the METAVIR system. Spearman correlation test showed D^* (r = 0.303, p = 0.026) was associated with RI; however, multivariate analysis showed that only D value was a significant predictor (p < 0.05) of RI. D and D^*showed moderate correlations with fibrosis stage (r = −0.361, p = 0.007; r = −0.457, p = 0.001). Fibrosis stage showed a negative correlation with RI (r = −0.263, p = 0.015). In the 29 patients who underwent minor hepatectomy, only the D value showed a positive association (p < 0.05) with RI, and a negative correlation with fibrosis stage (r = −0.360, p = 0.018). However, in the 25 patients who underwent major hepatectomy, no IVIM parameters were associated with RI (p > 0.05).

The D and D^* values, especially the D value, may be reliable preoperative predictors of liver regeneration.

• The D and D^* values, especially the D value, derived from IVIM diffusion-weighted imaging may be useful markers for the preoperative prediction of liver regeneration in patients with HCC.

• The D and D^* values derived from IVIM diffusion-weighted imaging show significant negative correlations with fibrosis, an important predictor of liver regeneration.