Quantification of Liver Fat Content after Radiofrequency Ablation for Liver Cancer: Correlation with Hepatic Perfusion Disorders

Purpose: To quantitatively investigate the correlation between liver fat content and hepatic perfusion disorders (HPD) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver cancer using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-determined proton density fat fraction (PDFF).

Materials and methods: A total of 150 liver cancer patients underwent liver MRI examination within one month after RFA and at four months after RFA. According to the liver fat content, they were divided into non-, mild, moderate, and severe fatty liver groups. The liver fat content and hepatic perfusion disorders were determined using PDFF images and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images. The relationship between the liver fat content and HPD was investigated.

Results: At the first postoperative MRI examination, the proportion of patients in the nonfatty liver group with hyperperfused foci (11.11%) was significantly lower than that in the mild (30.00%), moderate (42.86%), and severe fatty liver (56.67%) groups (p < 0.05), whereas the proportions of patients with hypoperfused foci (6.67%, 7.5%, 5.71%, and 6.67%, respectively) were not significantly different among the four groups (p > 0.05). In the nonfatty liver group, the liver fat content was not correlated with hyperperfusion abnormalities or hypoperfusion abnormalities. By contrast, in the three fatty liver groups, the liver fat content was correlated with hyperperfusion abnormalities but was not correlated with hypoperfusion abnormalities. At the second postoperative MRI examination, six patients in the nonfatty liver group were diagnosed with fatty liver, including two patients with newly developed hyperperfusion abnormalities and one patient whose hypoperfusion abnormality remained the same as it was in the first postoperative MRI examination.

Conclusion: There was a high correlation between the liver fat content and hyperperfusion abnormalities after RFA for liver cancer. The higher the liver fat content was, the higher the was risk of hyperperfusion abnormalities. However, there was little correlation between liver fat content and hypoperfusion abnormalities, and the increase in postoperative liver fat content did not induce or alter the presence of hypoperfused foci.