Early Diagnosis Value of DCE-MRI Hemodynamic Parameters in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the early diagnosis value of transfer coefficient (K(trans)) and rate constant (K(ep)) of the dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) hemodynamic parameters in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Fifty patients with HCC diagnosed in our hospital from May 2017 to May 2020 were studied retrospectively as the patient group (PG), and 45 cases with benign liver nodules diagnosed in our hospital during the same period were collected as the control group (CG). K(trans), K(ep), and AFP levels were compared between PG and CG. The diagnostic value of K(trans) and K(ep) in HCC were observed, and their correlations with patient clinical data were analyzed. The diagnostic value of K(trans) and K(ep) combined with AFP in clinical staging, differentiation degree, and distant metastasis was compared. RESULTS: K (trans), K(ep), and AFP were notably higher in cases than in controls (P < 0.05), indicating their high diagnostic value in HCC. K(trans) and K(ep) present elevated expression in HCC patients with clinical stage III-IV, low differentiation, and distant metastasis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it is found that the combined detection with either K(trans) or K(ep) can improve the clinical diagnostic value of AFP in the clinical stage and differentiation of HCC. However, the combined diagnosis showed little effect in raising the sensitivity of AFP in distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: DCE-MRI hemodynamic parameters K(trans) and K(ep) have high clinical value in early diagnosis and differentiation of HCC patients.