Skip to main content
. 2023 Feb 10;128(3):261–273. doi: 10.1007/s11547-023-01601-0

Table 2.

Relationship between MRI features and early post-operative HCC recurrence with different degrees of pathological differentiation

Characteristics Overall HCC Highly-differentiated HCC Moderately- differentiated HCC Poorly-differentiated HCC
ER(n = 90,%) Non-ER(n = 87,%) P ER(n = 13,%) Non-ER(n = 30,%) P ER(n = 46,%) Non-ER(n = 30,%) P ER(n = 31,%) Non-ER(n = 27,%) P
Non-LIRADS imaging features
Tumor size(cm)
   ≥ 5 43(47.8) 24(27.6) 0.006* 3(23.1) 5(16.7) 0.945 26(56.5) 10(33.3) 0.048* 14(45.2) 9(33.3) 0.358
   < 5 47(52. 2) 63(72.4) 10(76.9) 25(83.3) 20(43.5) 20(66.7) 17(54.8) 18(66.7)
Peritumoral enhancement
  Yes 57(63.3) 15(17.2) 0.000* 4(30.8) 4(13.3) 0.356 32(69.6) 6(20.0) 0.000* 21(67.7) 5(18.5) 0.000*
  No 33(36.7) 72(82.8) 9(69.2) 26(86.7) 14(30.4) 24(80.0) 10(32.3) 22(81.5)
Tumor capsule
  Complete 13(14.4) 42(48.3) 0.000* 1(7.7) 18(60.0) 0.002* 5(10.9) 17(56.7) 0.000* 7(22.6) 7(25.9) 0.766
  Incomplete/Without 77(85.6) 45(51.7) 12(92.3) 12(40.0) 41(89.1) 13(43.3) 24(77.4) 20(74.1)
Tumor margin
  Smooth 20(22.2) 39(44.8) 0.001* 2(15.4) 20(66.7) 0.002* 11(23.9) 13(43.3) 0.075 7(22.6) 6(22.2) 0.974
  Unsmooth 70(77.8) 48(55.2) 11(84.6) 10(33.3) 35(76.1) 17(56.7) 24(77.4) 21(77.8)
Peritumoral hypointensity
  Yes 52(57.8) 10(11.5) 0.000* 1(7.7) 3(10.0) 1.000 31(67.4) 3(10.0) 0.000* 20(64.5) 4(14.8) 0.000*
  NO 38(42.2) 77(88.5) 12(92.3) 27(90.0) 15(32.6) 27(90.0) 11(35.5) 23(85.2)
Intralesional necrosis
  Present 65(72.2) 45(51.7) 0.005* 6(46.2) 13(43.3) 0.864 36(78.3) 16(53.3) 0.022* 23(74.2) 16(59.3) 0.227
  Absent 25(27.8) 42(48.3) 7(53.8) 17(56.7) 10(21.7) 14(46.7) 8(25.8) 11(40.7)
Tumor thrombosis
  Present 24(26.7) 5(5.7) 0.000* 1(7.7) 1(3.3) 1.000 9(19.6) 0(0) 0.010* 14(45.2) 3(11.1) 0.011*
  Absent 66(73.3) 82(94.3) 12(92.3) 29(96.7) 37(80.4) 30(100) 17(54.8) 24(88.9)
LI-RADS major features
Tumor size(cm)
   < 2 cm 10(11.1) 18(20.7) 0.081 3(23.1) 9(30.0) 0.925 6(13.0) 3(10.0) 0.970 1(3.2) 6(22.2)
   ≥ 2 cm 80(88.9) 69(79.3) 10(76.9) 21(70.0) 40(87.0) 27(90.0) 30(96.8) 21(77.8) 0.070
Nonrim APHE
  Present 89(98.9) 80(92.0) 0.063 13(100) 27(90.0) 0.542 46(100) 28(93.3) 1.531 30(96.8) 25(92.6) 0.902
  Absent 1(1.1) 7(8.0) 0(0) 3(7.0) 0(0) 2(6.7) 1(3.2) 2(7.4)
Washout
  Present 89(98.9) 83(95.4) 0.344 13(100) 28(93.3) 1.000 45(97.8) 29(96.7) 1.000 31(100) 26(96.3) 0.466
  Absent 1(1.1) 4(4.6) 0(0) 2(6.7) 1(2.2) 1(3.3) 0(0) 1(3.7)
Enhancing capsule
  Present 81(90.0) 82(94.3) 0.295 12(92.3) 28(93.3) 1.000 40(87.0) 28(93.3) 0.615 29(93.5) 26(96.3) 1.000
  Absent 9(10.0) 5(5.7) 1(7.7) 2(6.7) 6(13.0) 2(6.7) 2(6.5) 1(3.7)
LI-RADS ancillary features(favoring HCC in particular)

Nonenhancing capsulea

Mosaic architecture

  Present 7(7.8) 9(10.3) 0.552 1(7.7) 3(10.0) 1.000 4(8.7) 2(6.7) 1.000 2(6.5) 4(14.8) 0.541
  Absent 83(92.2) 78(89.7) 12(92.3) 27(90.0) 42(91.3) 28(93.3) 29(93.5) 23(85.2)
Nodule-in-nodule architecture
  Present 3(3.3) 7(8.0) 0.302 0(0) 2(6.7) 1.000 2(4.3) 2(6.7) 1.000 1(3.2) 3(11.1) 0.508
  Absent 87(96.7) 80(92.0) 13(100) 28(93.3) 44(95.7) 28(93.3) 30(96.8) 24(88.9)
Fat in mass
  Present 4(4.4) 5(5.7) 0.958 1(7.7) 3(10.0) 1.000 2(4.3) 2(6.7) 1.000 1(3.2) 0(0) 1.000
  Absent 86(95.6) 82(94.3) 12(92.3) 27(90.0) 44(95.7) 28(93.3) 30(96.8) 27(100)
Blood products
  Present 18(20.5) 9(10.3) 0.064 1(7.7)) 1(3.3) 1.000 10(21.7) 4(13.3) 0.534 7(22.6) 4(14.8) 0.677
  Absent 70(79.5) 78(89.7) 12(92.3) 29(96.7) 36(78.3) 26(86.7) 24(77.4) 23(85.2)

ER early recurrence, Non-ER non early recurrence, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, LI-RADS Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System, APHE arterial phase hyperenhancement

*p < 0.05

aNone of the observations had the feature of nonenhancing capsule