Inconsistent and consistent classifications for small liver lesions by contrast-enhanced ultrasound LI-RADS and CECT/MRI LI-RADS / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the inconsistent and consistent classifications for lesions ≤2 cm by contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System(LI-RADS) v2017 and contrast-enhanced computed tomography/contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(CECT/MRI) LI-RADS v2018.Methods:The focal liver lesions ≤2 cm underwent CEUS and CECT/MRI within 1 month were enrolled in this retrospective study.Each nodule was categorized according to the CEUS LI-RADS v2017 and CECT/MRI LI-RADS v2018. Intermodality agreement between the CEUS LI-RADS and CECT/MRI LI-RADS for each lesion was assessed with Cohen′s Kappa. Lesions with inconsistent classification for CEUS LI-RADS and CECT/MRI were analyzed.Results:A total of 145 lesions with a size of (1.65±0.33)cm in 145 patients were included. The numbers of lesions in LR-3, 4, 5 and M were 16, 23, 90 and 16 on CEUS LI-RADS, 25, 31, 87 and 2 on CECT/MRI, respectively. And 73.1% lesions were classified as LR-5 or M on CEUS, while 61.4% lesions were classified as LR-5 or M on CECT/MRI ( P=0.033). The incidences of HCC in LR-3, 4 and 5 were 37.5%, 52.2% and 97.8% on CEUS LI-RADS, 56.0%, 64.5% and 96.6% on CECT/MRI LI-RADS respectively. Among the 145 lesions, 56 lesions had inconsistent classifications of CEUS and CECT/MRI LI-RADS. Twenty-eight lesions in CECT/MRI LR-3 and 4 were escalated to LR-4 and 5 by CEUS and 82.1% of them were found to be HCC. Fourteen lesions on CEUS LR-3 and 4 were escalated to LR-4 and 5 by CECT/MRI and 85.7% of them were found to be HCC. Conclusions:The LR-5 of the CEUS and CECT/EOB-MRI LI-RADS has a comparable incidence of HCC. However, the inter-modality agreement of the LI-RADS category between CEUS and CECT/EOB-MRI is poor. The proportion of lesions in CEUS LR-5 and M is much higher than that in CECT/MRI LR-5 and M, while the proportion of lesions in CECT/MRI LR-3 and 4 is high than that in CEUS LR-3 and 4.