Evaluation of the severity of liver cirrhosis using b values based magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging of liver lobe

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging of liver lobe and Child-Pugh classification in Chinese patients with liver cirrhosis. 72 liver cirrhosis patients and 23 healthy volunteers were enrolled, and patients were divided into class A, B, C according to Child- Pugh classification. All subjects received diffusion weighted imaging with b values set as 0, 400, 600 and 800 s/mm2. The correlation between ADC values of different lobes and Child-Pugh classification was analyzed. ADC values were significantly lower in patients with liver cirrhosis than in healthy controls. Moreover, ADC value was negatively correlated with Child-Pugh classification. At b value of 400 s/mm2 ADC value of left liver lobe was the best indicator to distinguish normal liver from liver cirrhosis and the area under the ROC curve was 0.914. At b value of 600 s/mm2 ADC value of right liver lobe was the best indicator to distinguish class A from class B-C of liver cirrhosis and the area under the ROC curve was 0.834. ADC value of right liver lobe was also the best indicator to distinguish class A-B from class C of liver cirrhosis and the area under the ROC curve was 0.884. These data indicate that ADC value of liver lobe is correlated with liver cirrhosis severity determined by Child-Pugh classification and is a new noninvasive indicator of the severity of liver cirrhosis.