Liver quantification with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for evaluation in hepatic function and staging of post-hepatitic liver cirrhosis

To evaluate the value of DCE-MR for hepatic reserve function assessment and staging in post-hepatitic liver cirrhosis (PHLC). 10 patients with compensatory PHLC, 10 with decompensatory PHLC and 10 healthy volunteers were performed DCE-MRI scanning. All data were calculated by Extended Tofts model fitting with pharmacokinetic curve and the permeability and perfusion parameters were measured in quantification. The new method validated the feasibility of using quantitative parameters of DCE-MRI with pharmacokinetic model to assess liver cirrhosis. In conclusion, DCE-MRI quantitative parameters can be used for diagnosing and staging liver cirrhosis.