The value of quantitative MR elastography-based stiffness for assessing the microvascular invasion grade in hepatocellular carcinoma

Objectives To evaluate the potential diagnostic value of MR elastography (MRE)–based stiffness to noninvasively predict the microvascular invasion (MVI) grade in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods One hundred eighty-five patients with histopathology-proven HCC who underwent MRI and MRE examinations before hepatectomy were retrospectively enrolled. According to the three-tiered MVI grading system, the MVI was divided into negative-MVI ( n = 89) and positive-MVI ( n = 96) groups, and the latter group was categorized into mild-MVI ( n = 49) and severe-MVI ( n = 47) subgroups. Logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analyses were used to determine the predictors associated with MVI grade and analyze their performances, respectively. Results Among the 185 patients, tumor size ≥ 50 mm ( p = 0.031), tumor stiffness (TS)/liver stiffness (LS) > 1.47 ( p = 0.001), TS > 4.33 kPa ( p < 0.001), and nonsmooth tumor margin ( p = 0.006) were significant independent predictors for positive-MVI. Further analyzing the subgroups, tumor size ≥ 50 mm ( p < 0.001), TS > 5.35 kPa ( p = 0.001), and AFP level > 400 ng/mL ( p = 0.044) were independently associated with severe-MVI. The models incorporating MRE and clinical-radiological features together performed better for evaluating positive-MVI (AUC: 0.846) and severe-MVI (AUC: 0.802) than the models using clinical-radiological predictors alone (AUC: positive-/severe-MVI, 0.737/0.743). Analysis of recurrence-free survival and overall survival showed the predicted positive-MVI/severe-MVI groups based on combined models had significantly poorer prognoses than predicted negative-MVI/mild-MVI groups, respectively (all p < 0.05). Conclusions MRE-based stiffness was an independent predictor for both the positive-MVI and severe-MVI. The combination of MRE and clinical-radiological models might be a useful tool for evaluating HCC patients’ prognoses underwent hepatectomy by preoperatively predicting the MVI grade. Key Points • The severe-microvascular invasion (MVI) grade had the highest tumor stiffness (TS), followed by mild-MVI and non-MVI, and there were significances among the three different MVI grades . • MR elastography (MRE)–based stiffness value was an independent predictor of positive-MVI and severe-MVI in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) preoperatively . • When combined with clinical-radiological models, MRE could significantly improve the predictive performance for MVI grade. Patients with predicted positive-MVI/severe-MVI based on the combined models had worse recurrence-free survival and overall survival than those with negative-MVI/mild-MVI, respectively .