Objective:

To explore whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) histogram analysis of apparently diseasefree liver parenchyma can help predict the recurrence of colorectal liver metastases.

Methods:

Standard enhanced MRI including diffusion weighted imaging (b=0

500 s/mm

2

) were performed at the first stage of diagnosis in 50 patients with colorectal liver metastases. Histograms were performed for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and enhanced rate image of portal

venous phase (PVP)

thereafter the mean

standard deviation

median

skewness

kurtosis and Nth percentiles (1st

10th

50th

90th

99th) were generated. Quantitative histogram parameters were compared between the patients with recurrence (

n

=20) and without recurrence (

n

=30) after a short period (about 6 months) of chemotherapy with or without surgery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses was further analyzed for the significant parameters.

Results:

The mean

standard deviation

median

skewness

kurtosis and percentiles of ADC maps had no significant difference between the patients with and without hepatic recurrence (

P

0.05) after a short period of chemotherapy. The standard deviation and 99th percentile of enhanced rate image of portal venous phase were significantly higher in the patients with recurrence compared with those without recurrence (

P

=0.025

0.024)

and the areas under curve (AUCs) were both 0.68.

Conclusion:

Whole-liver MRI histogram analysis of apparently disease-free liver parenchyma can help predict hepatic recurrence in the patients with colorectal liver metastases.