Objective To review the current status of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis. Methods The application and recent advances of various kinds of MRI techniques in evaluating hepatic fibrosis were summarized by literature review. Results The state-of-the-art of MRI evaluating of hepatic fibrosis included common contrast-enhanced MRI, double contrast-enhanced MRI, and various functional MRI techniques. Common contrast-enhanced MRI could detect morphological changes of the liver, but little value in phasing. Double contrast-enhanced MRI markedly increased the contrast to noise ratio. Except diagnosis liver fibrosis, functional MRI also could phase it by its serverity. Conclusion MRI techniques, especially those functional MRI techniques, are advancing very fast and have very great potentiality in both the diagnosis and severity assessment of hepatic fibrosis.
ObjectiveTo investigate the radiological appearances of postoperative complications after living donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma under multi-detector row spiral computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. MethodsThirty-nine imaging data in 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation from January 2008 to June 2010 in the West China Hospital were included and analyzed by two radiologists respectively. The relations between the types of complications and radiological appearances were especially recorded. ResultsAll the cases experienced complications to different extent. Common surgical complications occured in 20 cases, including pertitoneal fluid collection (14 cases), pneumoperitoneum (2 cases), swelling of peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery (1 case), abdominal wall swelling (2 cases), pleural effusion (9 cases), and pericardial fluid collection (2 cases). Hepatic vascular complications involved hepatic artery in 3 cases, portal vein in 5 cases. Biliary complications presented in 7 cases, including anastomotic stenosis of biliary duct (6 cases) and bile leak (1 case). Graft parenchymal complications included intrahepatic lymph retention (11 cases), infarction (3 cases), and infection (2 cases). Intrahepatic recurrence in 5 cases, intraperitoneal metastasis in 3 csses and pulmonary metastasis in 2 cases. ConclusionMDCT and MRI have important diagnostic values for postoperative complications after living donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Objective To review the value of imaging assessment for perioperative period of liver transplantation. Methods The related literatures in recent years were reviewed, and the applications of various kinds of radiological techniques in perioperative period of liver transplantation and radiological strategies of major complications after liver transplantation were summarized. Results Transplantation has become an effective option for treatment of patients with irreversible severe liver dysfunction. Radiological assessment supplies prompt and accurate information for clinic to increase the success rate and reduce the complications. So it plays an irreplaceable role. Conclusions Radiology assessment is important for screening donors and recipients before liver transplantation， following up and monitoring the complications. The doctor of imaging department could grasp the different imaging appearance in perioperative period of liver transplantation.
Objective To evaluate the imaging features of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE). Methods The imaging data of 15 patients with HEHE proved by surgery and pathology who reeived treatment in West China Hospital from Jul. 2012 to Aug. 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. The location, boundary, density/signal, and enhanced features of tumor were observed. Results Among 15 cases, there were 3 cases of single, 5 cases of multiple, and 6 cases of fusion. Thirteen cases were distributed under the capsular of liver, accompanied by the capsule retraction sign, 14 cases had lollipop sign, 7 cases had core pattern sign. On plain CT images, the lesions manifested as low density. On plain MR images, the lesions had hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. The enhanced scanning could be characterized by mild enhancement, rim-like enhancement at early phase, and progressive centripetal fill-in enhancement during dynamic phase imaging. Conclusions CT and MRI imagings of HEHE are different, and there are certain characteristics of capsule retraction sign, lollipop sign, and core pattern sign.
Objective The purpose of this study is to compare the differences of opened collateral circulation status between hepatic portal hypertension (HPH) and pancreatogenic portal hypertension (PPH), to guide the clinical treatment. Methods From Nov. 2015 to Oct. 2017, data of 119 cases of computed tomography portography (CTP) from the Department of Radiology of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital and Department of Radiology of West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospective analyzed, and the patients were divided into 2 groups, namely the HPH group (77 patients) and PPH group (42 patients) according to different causes. The diameter of portal vein system (including trunk of portal vein, left gastric vein, splenic vein, superior mesenteric vein, and gastroepiploic vein) and the incidences of varicose veins (lower esophageal vein, gastric fundal vein, gastric body vein, Retzius vein varix, umbilical vein open, and splenorenal shunt), as well as the degree of varicose of lower esophageal vein, gastric fundal, and gastric body vein were compared. Results The diameter of portal vein in the HPH group was larger than that of the PPH group, but the diameter of gastroepiploic vein was smaller than that of the PPH group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in left gastric vein, splenic vein, and superior mesenteric vein between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Significant differences were found in varicose veins incidence of gastric and lower esophageal vein (P<0.05), the varicose veins incidence of gastric was lower and varicose veins incidence of lower esophageal vein was higher in the HPH group. Statistically significant differences were also found in the incidence of umbilical vein open, Retzius varicose veins and splenorenal shunt between the 2 groups (P<0.05), and the incidences were all higher in the HPH group. Conclusions There are differences in collateral circulation status between the HPH and PPH. Gastric fundal and lower esophageal vein varices are easy to appear simultaneously in HPH, while gastric fundal and body vien varices are mostly only occurred in PPH. Compared with HPH, the degree of gastric fundal and lower esophageal vein varices is more mild in PPH.
ObjectiveThis review has summarized in detail the advances in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging in evaluating the efficacy of targeted therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).MethodsTo summarize the image-related guidelines, consensus, international conference reports, and relevant knowledge of clinical research on the evaluation of the efficacy of GIST targeted therapy in recent years.ResultsThe CT and MRI manifestation after targeted treatment of GIST was closely related to pathological changes, including necrosis, cystic degeneration, and bleeding. CT was the preferred imaging method. Functional magnetic resonance imaging, such as diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), had made some progress. The main criteria for evaluating the efficacy of GIST targeted therapy were RECIST 1.1 and Choi criteria.ConclusionCT and MRI play an important role in evaluating the efficacy of targeted therapy for GIST.
Objective To explore a new rotation training mode suitable for residency standardized non-professional radiological trainees in radiology department, so as to improve the training quality. Methods The residency standardized non-professional radiological trainees who rotated in the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between June 2021 and January 2022 were retrospectively included as the research objects. According to the training mode, they were divided into traditional training mode group and innovative training mode group. The training results of the two groups were compared by taking process assessment, final examination and final score as evaluation indicators. Results Finally, 122 residents were included, including 45 in the traditional training model group and 77 in the innovative training model group. There was no significant difference in gender, major, identity and grade between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the first film reading skill examination and their usual homework performance (P>0.05). The score of the second film reading skill examination [15 (14, 16) vs. 12 (11, 13)], the score of the final examination [34 (31, 36) vs. 29 (25, 31)] and the final score [80 (76, 83) vs. 71 (67, 74)] in the innovative training mode group were better than those in the traditional training mode group (P<0.05). Conclusion The innovative training mode of online teaching platform combined with offline teaching can improve the training effect of residency standardized non-professional radiological trainees in radiology department.
Gastric cancer remains one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies in China. Peritoneal metastasis represents a frequent mode of dissemination or recurrence in patients with advanced disease and confers an extremely poor prognosis. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in imaging techniques, with modalities including CT, ultrasound, MRI and PET-CT being implemented to evaluate peritoneal metastasis. However, adequate detection remains challenging, particularly for occult peritoneal metastasis. With the advent of precision medicine, radiomics and artificial intelligence have undergone rapid development and show considerable promise for the early prediction of peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer, providing a new means of diagnosis and treatment for patients with peritoneal metastasis.
Objective To explore the clinical value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid （Gd-EOB-DTPA） enhanced magnetic resonance （MR） imaging for cirrhosis-related nodules. Methods Nineteen patients who were suspected cirrhosis with lesions of liver were prospectively included for Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR imaging test between Nov. 2011 and Jan. 2013. The hepatobiliary phase （HBP） images were taken in 20 minutes after agents’ injection. The images were diagnosed independently in two groups： group A， including the plain phase and dynamic phase images； group B， including plain phase， dynamic phase， and HBP phase images. The signal intensity （SI） of lesions in HBP images， background liver SI， and background noise standard deviation were measured by using a circular region of interest， then the lesion signal to noise ratio （SNR） and contrast signal to noise ratio （CNR） were calculated. Results Nineteen patients had 25 tumors in all， including 18 hepatocelluar carcinoma （HCC） and 7 regenerative nodule （RN） or dysplastic nodule （DN）， with the diameter ranged from 0.6 cm to 3.2 cm （average 1.3 cm） . Sixteen HCC manifested hypo SI relative to the normal liver， while 2 HCC manifested hyper SI at HBP. Five HCC had cystic necrosis with the necrotic area， and there were no enhancement in artery phase， while performed flocculent enhancement at HBP. Six RN or DN showed hyper SI while another 1 showed iso SI to background liver at HBP. The diagnostic accuracy rates of group A and group B were 80.0% （20/25） and 92.0% （23/25）. SNR of RN or DN at HBP was 132.90±17.21， and of HCC was 114.35±19.27， while the CNR of RN or DN was 19.47±8.20， and of HCC was 112.15±33.52. Conclusion Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR imaging can improve the diagnosis capacity of cirrhosis-related nodules， so as to develop more accurate and reasonable treatment options.
Objective To investigate the CT manifestation and clinical significance of the gastrointestinal tract involvement in acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods Two hundreds CT scans in 131 patients with acute pancreatitis between Jan. 1, 2009 and Jun. 30, 2009 were included into the study. Two radiologists analyzed the images retrospectively, paying attention to the CT features of the gastrointestinal tract involvement, such as the style, distribution, and so on. The correlation between gastrointestinal tract involvement and CT severity index, clinical severity grading, and turnover of acute pancreatitis were studied using a SPSS 14.0 for windows statistics software. Results The CT images in 109 (83.2%) patients showed gastrointestinal tract involvement, which distributing mainly stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and transverse colon, and showing mainly the gastrointestinal tract wall thickening and distension. The gastrointestinal tract involvement had positive correlation with CT severity index, clinical severity grading, and turnover of acute pancreatitis (r=0.689， P=0.000; r=0.584， P=0.000; r=0.346， P=0.000). Conclusions The gastrointestinal tract involvement is common complication in acute pancreatitis and concerns with severity and prognosis of the disease. As other extrapancreatic organs involvement, the gastrointestinal tract involvement has important value for severity assessment, prognosis evaluation, and therapeutic effect monitoring of acute pancreatitis.