Diagnostic Performance Of MRI Vs. CT For Staging Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The diagnosis of HCC in its early stages improves the prognosis and survival of the patients; therefore, the imaging modalities are necessary for early diagnosis. Imaging plays a key function in diagnosis, staging, surveillance, and post-therapeutic follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are two imaging modalities that can be used for HCC, and each modality has its own advantages.

Aim:

To assess the diagnostic performance of MRI vs. CT for HCC by reviewing the previous research concerned with this subject.

Methods:

The electronic scientific databases were explored to obtain related studies by using relevant keywords. The searching process was limited to original English studies comparing MRI and CT for HCC diagnosis and published in the past ten years.

Results:

Eight studies were in agreement with the criteria and were enrolled with a total number of 813 patients. There are different MRI and CT techniques reported, which were used for several purposes, including HCC diagnosis, staging, diagnosis of small lesions, and late recurrence.

Conclusion:

MRI had higher diagnostic performance compared to CT in several aspects, including staging. Combining both imaging modalities increases the diagnostic performance; however, this strategy can be costly. Therefore, the usage of a definite imaging modality for HCC should be individualized.