Noninvasive Staging of Liver Fibrosis Using 5-Minute Delayed Dual-Energy CT: Comparison with US Elastography and Correlation with Histologic Findings

Background: Normalized iodine concentration (NIC) (ratio of iodine concentration of liver to that of aorta) of liver at delayed dual-energy CT (DECT) may reflect the amount of fibrosis based on the extent of iodine uptake. Purpose: To stage liver fibrosis by using 5-minute delayed DECT and compare findings with those of transient elastography (TE), shear-wave elastography (SWE), and histologic examination. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included patients with chronic liver disease who were scheduled to undergo multiphase abdominal CT and liver biopsy from January 2017 to September 2018. Fifty individuals being screened as renal donors comprised the control group. Study participants underwent TE, SWE, multiphasic DECT (including 5-minute delayed dual-energy scanning), and liver biopsy. Multiphasic DECT and SWE were performed in the control group. The NIC of the right lobe of the liver (RNIC) was compared with liver stiffness (LS) as measured with TE and SWE and with the METAVIR fibrosis stage (ranging from F0 to F4). Diagnostic performance was assessed by using areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs). Results A total of 107 participants (mean age, 35 years +/- 12 [standard deviation]; 57 men) and 50 control subjects (mean age, 47 years +/- 11; 29 women) were evaluated. The RNIC showed strong correlation with METAVIR stage (Spearman rho = 0.81, P < .001). The AUC for RNIC with each METAVIR stage ranged between 0.86 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.97) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92, 0.99). The cut-off value of RNIC was 0.24 (sensitivity: 85% [86 of 101 participants; 95% CI: 77%, 91%]; specificity: 83% [84 of 101 participants; 95% CI: 42%, 98%]) for stage F1 fibrosis and 0.29 (sensitivity: 84% [67 of 80 participants; 95% CI: 74%, 90%]; specificity: 81% [65 of 80 participants; 95% CI: 63%, 92%]) for stage F2 fibrosis. RNIC correlated well with LS as measured with TE and SWE (Spearman rho = 0.60 and 0.64, respectively; P < .001). Conclusion: Normalized iodine concentration of liver at 5-minute delayed dual-energy CT showed strong correlation with the histologic stages of liver fibrosis and good diagnostic performance in estimating liver fibrosis. (C) RSNA, 2020

Automated summary

The study demonstrated a strong correlation between the normalized iodine concentration of the liver at 5-minute delayed dual-energy CT and histologic stages of liver fibrosis, indicating good diagnostic performance in estimating liver fibrosis.