Value of Texture Feature Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis of Hepatic Cyst and Hemangioma in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective To investigate the difference of texture on conventional T2-weighted image (T2WI) between hepatic cyst and hepatic hemangioma. Methods All the subjects included 156 patients with hepatic cyst [A group:100 cases with equi or low signal on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI);B group:56 cases with high signal on DWI] and 100 patients with hemangioma (C group). Conventional magnetic resonance imaging T2WI,DWI and dynamic contrast enhancement were performed on all the patients,and the texture analysis was applied with the images of T2WI,and the texture parameters included angular second moment,contrast,correlation,inverse difference moment,and entropy. Independent sample t-test and Aspin-Welch test were performed for the comparisons among groups. Results All the texture parameters showed significant difference among groups [(A+B) group vs. C group:ρ =0.000,ρ=0.000,ρ=0.000,Pinverse difference moment=0.822,ρ=0.000;A group vs. C group:ρ=0.000,ρ=0.000,ρ=0.000,ρ=0.092,ρ=0.000;B group vs. C group:ρ=0.000,ρ=0.000,ρ=0.000,ρ=0.046,ρ=0.009],and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that contrast and correlation had high differential diagnostic values between hepatic cyst and hemangioma. Conclusion Hepatic cyst and hemangioma present evident different texture characteristics,and the texture analysis may be considered as a simple and effective tool in the differential diagnosis between hepatic cyst and hemangioma based on the images of T2WI.