Kita K, Kita M, Sato M, Ooshima A, Yamada R
Department of Radiology, Wakayama Medical College, Japan.
Acta Radiol. 1996 Mar;37(2):198-203. doi: 10.1177/02841851960371P141.
The objective of this study was to identify the factors affecting the visualization of regenerating nodules in cirrhotic liver by MR imaging.
MR images from patients with liver cirrhosis and normal subjects were studied, and signal intensity within the liver was measured and correlated with histologic findings. A reference phantom was also used as a standard.
The signal intensity of the liver on T2-weighted (T2WI) spin-echo (SE) images was significantly increased in patients with liver cirrhosis. Multiple ring-like or reticular high-intensity areas (RHAs) were demonstrated on T2WI SE images in 44 of 125 cirrhotic livers. Histologic examination in 44 cases revealed various degrees of inflammatory changes in fibrous septa surrounding regenerative nodules in all specimens, vascular dilation in fibrous septa in 4 specimens, and no hemosiderin deposition in some specimens. The results of linear discriminant analysis showed that inflammatory changes in fibrous septa were significantly more pronounced in cases with RHAs on MR.
RHAs seen on T2WI SE images may correspond to fibrous septa with inflammation. The signal intensity of fibrous septa surrounding regenerative nodules on T2WI SE images may be increased in liver cirrhosis due to inflammation or vascular dilation, contributing to the visualization of regenerating nodules as relatively low-intensity regions on MR.
本研究的目的是确定影响磁共振成像（MR）观察肝硬化肝脏中再生结节的因素。
研究了肝硬化患者和正常受试者的MR图像，测量了肝脏内的信号强度并将其与组织学结果相关联。还使用了一个参考体模作为标准。
肝硬化患者肝脏在T2加权（T2WI）自旋回波（SE）图像上的信号强度显著增加。125例肝硬化肝脏中的44例在T2WI SE图像上显示出多个环状或网状高强度区域（RHAs）。44例的组织学检查显示，所有标本中围绕再生结节的纤维间隔均有不同程度的炎症改变，4例标本的纤维间隔有血管扩张，部分标本无含铁血黄素沉积。线性判别分析结果显示，MR上有RHAs的病例中，纤维间隔的炎症改变明显更显著。
T2WI SE图像上所见的RHAs可能对应于有炎症的纤维间隔。由于炎症或血管扩张，肝硬化时T2WI SE图像上围绕再生结节的纤维间隔的信号强度可能增加，这有助于在MR上将再生结节显示为相对低强度区域。
