Hypervascular Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Correlation between Biologic Features and Signal Intensity on Gadoxetic Acid–enhanced MR Images

Purpose: To analyze the correlation among biologic features, tumor marker production, and signal intensity at gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR imaging in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).Materials and Methods: Institutional ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained for this retrospective study. From April 2008 to September 2011, 180 surgically resected HCCs in 180 patients (age, 65.0 years ± 10.3 [range, 34–83 years]; 138 men, 42 women) were classified as either hypointense (n = 158) or hyperintense (n = 22) compared with the signal intensity of the background liver on hepatobiliary phase gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR images. Pathologic features were analyzed and a fetoprotein (AFP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) production were compared by means of serum analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Recurrence and survival rates were also evaluated. The Mann-Whitney and Pearson correlation tests were used for statistical analysis.Results: The grade of differentiation was higher (P = .028) and portal vein invasion was less frequent in hyperintense HCCs (13.6%) than in hypointense HCCs (36.7%) (P = .039). The serum levels of AFP, Lens culinaris agglutinin reactive fraction of AFP, and PIVKA-II were lower in hyperintense than in hypointense HCCs (P = .003, .004, and .026, respectively). Immunohistochemical AFP and PIVKA-II expression were lower in hyperintense than in hypointense HCCs (both P < .001). The recurrence rate was lower in hyperintense than in hypointense HCCs (P = .039).Conclusion: The results suggest that hyperintense HCCs on gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR images are less aggressive than hypointense HCCs.© RSNA, 2012Supplemental material: http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.12120226/-/DC1