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Can dual-energy CT replace perfusion CT for the functional evaluation of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma?

  • Hepatobiliary-Pancreas
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objectives

To determine the degree of relationship between iodine concentrations derived from dual-energy CT (DECT) and perfusion CT parameters in patients with advanced HCC under treatment.

Methods

In this single-centre IRB approved study, 16 patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib or radioembolization who underwent concurrent dynamic perfusion CT and multiphase DECT using a single source, fast kV switching DECT scanner were included. Written informed consent was obtained for all patients. HCC late-arterial and portal iodine concentrations, blood flow (BF)-related and blood volume (BV)-related perfusion parameters maps were calculated. Mixed-effects models of the relationship between iodine concentrations and perfusion parameters were computed. An adjusted p value (Bonferroni method) < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Mean HCC late-arterial and portal iodine concentrations were 22.7±12.7 mg/mL and 18.7±8.3 mg/mL, respectively. Late-arterial iodine concentration was significantly related to BV (mixed-effects model F statistic (F)=28.52, p<0.0001), arterial BF (aBF, F=17.62, p<0.0001), hepatic perfusion index (F=28.24, p<0.0001), positive enhancement integral (PEI, F=66.75, p<0.0001) and mean slope of increase (F=32.96, p<0.0001), while portal-venous iodine concentration was mainly related to BV (F=29.68, p<0.0001) and PEI (F=66.75, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

In advanced HCC lesions, DECT-derived late-arterial iodine concentration is strongly related to both aBF and BV, while portal iodine concentration mainly reflects BV, offering DECT the ability to evaluate both morphological and perfusion changes.

Key points

• Late-arterial iodine concentration is highly related to arterial BF and BV.

• Portal iodine concentration mainly reflects tumour blood volume.

• Dual-energy CT offers significantly decreased radiation dose compared with perfusion CT.

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Abbreviations

DECT:

Dual-energy CT

BF:

Blood flow

BV:

Blood volume

aBF:

Arterial blood flow

pBF:

Portal blood flow

HPI:

Hepatic perfusion index

MTT:

Mean transit time

MSI:

Mean slope of increase

PS:

Capillary permeability surface product

TTP:

Time to peak

PEI:

Positive enhancement integral

AASLD:

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

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Acknowledgements

This work was an ancillary study to the SARAH multicentric trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01482442).

Funding

The authors state that this work has not received any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d’Imagerie Médicale, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, 51 Avenue du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010, Creteil Cedex, France

    Sébastien Mulé, Frédéric Pigneur, Laurence Baranes, Vania Tacher, Edouard Herin, Hugo Pasquier, Alain Rahmouni & Alain Luciani

  2. GE Healthcare, 283 rue de la Minière, 78530, Buc, France

    Ronan Quelever & Philippe Richard

  3. Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France

    Arthur Tenenhaus

  4. Biostatistics and bioinformatics core facility, Brain and Spine Institute, Paris, France

    Arthur Tenenhaus

  5. Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est Creteil, Creteil, France

    Vania Tacher, Hugo Pasquier, Alain Rahmouni & Alain Luciani

  6. INSERM IMRB, U 955, Equipe 18, Creteil, France

    Vania Tacher & Alain Luciani

  7. Service de Radiologie, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Nord Val de Seine, Beaujon, 100 boulevard General Leclerc, 92118, Clichy, France

    Maxime Ronot & Valérie Vilgrain

  8. Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Maxime Ronot & Valérie Vilgrain

  9. INSERM U1149, centre de recherche biomédicale Bichat-Beaujon, CRB3, Paris, France

    Maxime Ronot & Valérie Vilgrain

Authors
  1. Sébastien Mulé
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  2. Frédéric Pigneur
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  3. Ronan Quelever
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  4. Arthur Tenenhaus
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  5. Laurence Baranes
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  6. Philippe Richard
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  7. Vania Tacher
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  8. Edouard Herin
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  9. Hugo Pasquier
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  10. Maxime Ronot
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  11. Alain Rahmouni
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  12. Valérie Vilgrain
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  13. Alain Luciani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sébastien Mulé.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Pr. Alain Luciani.

Conflict of interest

Two authors of this manuscript (R.Q. and P.R.) are employees of GE Healthcare. All other authors retained full control of all data and were responsible for all analyses performed in the study.

Statistics and biometry

Revised statistical analysis was performed by A.T., a PhD statistician with 11 years of experience.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all patients in this study.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Methodology

• prospective

• cross sectional study

• performed at one institution

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Mulé, S., Pigneur, F., Quelever, R. et al. Can dual-energy CT replace perfusion CT for the functional evaluation of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma?. Eur Radiol 28, 1977–1985 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5151-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5151-y

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