Assessment of factors affecting washout appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma on CT

Objectives To identify independent imaging and histopathologic factors that affect washout appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in CT images. Methods This retrospective study included 264 patients who had undergone surgical resection for treatment-naive single HCC between January 2014 and December 2015 and had available preoperative multiphasic CT images. Two reviewers evaluated the CT imaging features of HCC using LI-RADS v2018. The washout was visually assessed in portal venous or equilibrium phases. Depending on the presence of washout appearance of HCC, all patients were divided into washout (n = 228) and no washout (n = 36) groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the absence of washout appearance of HCC. Results A total of 264 HCCs (median size, 2.6 cm) were analyzed. Histologically proven hepatic steatosis (macrovesicular steatosis >= 5%) (odds ratio [OR], 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-6.74; p = 0.040), tumor capsule on histopathology (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06-0.50; p = 0.001), and mosaic appearance on CT image (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.14-0.85; p = 0.021) were independent factors associated with the absence of washout appearance of HCC. In 189 patients with available unenhanced CT images, CT-diagnosed hepatic steatosis was also an independent factor for the absence of washout appearance of HCC (OR, 9.26; 95% CI, 3.06-28.02; p < 0.001). Conclusions Washout appearance of HCC in CT images could be obscured in both histologically proven hepatic steatosis and CT-diagnosed hepatic steatosis, and could be enhanced with tumor capsule on histopathology and mosaic appearance on CT image.

Automated summary

The study identified independent imaging and histopathologic factors affecting the washout appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in CT images, including hepatic steatosis, tumor capsule, and mosaic appearance on CT image. Additionally, CT-diagnosed hepatic steatosis was found to be an independent factor for the absence of washout appearance of HCC.