Table 1 List of imaging features assessed on MRI and MRCP
MRI/MRCP | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
Biliary tree | Extra-/intrahepatic bile duct dilatation | |
Extra-/intrahepatic bile duct strictures with or without upstream dilatation | If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar, monolobar or segmental | |
Extra-/intrahepatic bile duct beading | If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar or monolobar (involving few or multiple ducts), or segmental | |
Intrahepatic bile duct saccular dilatation | If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar or monolobar (involving few or multiple ducts), or segmental | |
Vanishing ducts | If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar, monolobar or segmental | |
Extra-/intrahepatic intrabiliary casts | If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar, monolobar or segmental | |
Extra-/intrahepatic periportal and/or peribiliary signal changes | Hyperintense signal changes were assessed on T2-weighted sequences and diffusion-weighted sequences. If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar, monolobar or segmental | |
Extra-/intrahepatic periportal and/or peribiliary enhancement | Enhancement was assessed on multiphasic post-contrast T1-weighted images. If present, distribution was assessed as bilobar, monolobar or segmental | |
Presence of gall bladder sludge and/or stones | ||
Hepatic parenchyma | Hepatomegaly | Feature was assessed qualitatively. Measurements of the maximum craniocaudal length of the liver in the coronal plane were performed for orientation (cutoff: 16 cm). Other signs included extension of the right lobe beyond the lower pole of the right kidney and rounded contour of the inferior hepatic border |
Distortion of the liver morphology | Features were assessed qualitatively and included structural changes of the liver contour such as a rounded shape of the liver, caudate lobe hypertrophy, lobar hypertrophy or atrophy A cirrhotic morphology was defined as a combination of signs including widening of the porta hepatis, enlargement of the interlobar fissure, expansion of pericholecystic space, segmental atrophy (segment 4), compensatory hypertrophy (segments 2 and 3, caudate lobe), a nodular liver contour and heterogeneity of the liver | |
Hepatic parenchymal signal changes | Signal changes were assessed on T2-weighted sequences and diffusion-weighted sequences | |
Steatosis | Feature was assessed using the 2-point Dixon method or chemical shift imaging with in- and opposed-phase and was defined as a calculated liver fat fraction exceeding 5%. If present, distribution was described as either focal or diffuse | |
Vascular | Thrombosis or occlusion | Changes of the hepatic arteries, the portal vein and hepatic veins were assessed |
Caliber irregularities and strictures | ||
Other | Ascites | If present, it was quantified subjectively as small volume, moderate volume or large volume |
Portal and/or portocaval lymphadenopathy | Defined as enlarged lymph nodes ≥ 1 cm short axis |