Hepatic iron deposition on MR imaging in patients with chronic liver disease : correlation with serial serum ferritin concentration

• Published in: Abdominal imaging Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 149 - 156
• Main Authors: KIM, M.-J, MITCHELL, D. G, ITO, K, HANN, H.-W. L, PARK, Y. N, KIM, P. N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.03.2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Chronic Disease; Cirrhosis; Digestive system; Female; Ferritin; Ferritins - blood; Hepatitis; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - blood; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - metabolism; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Iron; Iron - analysis; Liver - chemistry; Liver Cirrhosis - blood; Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism; Liver diseases; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nodules; Observer Variation; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Spleen; Spleen - chemistry; Human; Liver; Ferritin; Biological marker; Hepatic disease; Iron; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Infection; Cirrhosis; Viral hepatitis; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Medical imagery; Diagnosis; Deposition
• ISSN: 0942-8925; 2366-004X; 1432-0509; 2366-0058
• DOI: 10.1007/s002610000121

To evaluate the relationship between magnetic resonance (MR) imaging grading of iron deposition and serial serum ferritin concentration in patients with chronic viral liver diseases. In 80 patients with viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, MR images including T2*-weighted gradient echo images (echo time > or = 6.5 ms) were reviewed. The grades of parenchymal iron deposition and iron-containing nodules in the liver and spleen and the liver-to-muscle and spleen-to-muscle signal intensity ratios were compared with the most recent, the mean, the lowest, and the highest values from all available serum ferritin levels. The serum ferritin concentration was significantly correlated with the grades of iron deposition in liver and spleen and with the grades of iron-containing nodules seen on MR images (p < 0.05). Liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio was weakly correlated with the ferritin concentrations. Among categories of ferritin concentration, correlation with MR grades was highest for mean ferritin concentration (r = 0.487, p < 0.001). MR imaging grades of hepatic iron and siderotic nodules correlate with serum ferritin, especially with the mean levels.