Comparison of diffusion-weighted imaging and MR elastography in staging liver fibrosis: a meta-analysis

Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), gradient-recalled echo-based magnetic resonance elastography (GRE-MRE), and spin-echo echo-planar imaging-based MRE (SE-EPI-MRE) in liver fibrosis staging. Methods A systematic literature search was done to collect st...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Abdominal imaging 2021-08, Vol.46 (8), p.3889-3907
Main Authors: Jang, Weon, Jo, Seongil, Song, Ji Soo, Hwang, Hong Pil, Kim, Seong-Hun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biopsy
Bivariate analysis
Diagnostic systems
Echo-Planar Imaging
Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Fibrosis
Gastroenterology
Hepatobiliary
Hepatology
Heterogeneity
Humans
Imaging
Likelihood ratio
Liver
Liver - diagnostic imaging
Liver Cirrhosis - diagnostic imaging
Liver Cirrhosis - pathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medical imaging
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Meta-analysis
Radiology
Reproducibility of Results
Sensitivity analysis
Subgroups
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), gradient-recalled echo-based magnetic resonance elastography (GRE-MRE), and spin-echo echo-planar imaging-based MRE (SE-EPI-MRE) in liver fibrosis staging. Methods A systematic literature search was done to collect studies on the performance of DWI, GRE-MRE, and SE-EPI-MRE for diagnosing liver fibrosis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and a summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were estimated with a bivariate random effects model. Subgroup analyses on various study characteristics were performed. Results Sixty studies with a total of 6620 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of GRE-MRE and SE-EPI-MRE showed high diagnostic accuracy and did not differ significantly. The area under the summary ROC curve for all stages of fibrosis differed significantly between DWI (0.83–0.88) and either GRE-MRE (0.95–0.97) or SE-EPI-MRE (0.95–0.99). Substantial heterogeneity was detected for all three imaging methods. Conclusions Both GRE-MRE and SE-EPI-MRE are highly accurate for detection of each liver fibrosis stage, with high potential to replace liver biopsy. Although DWI had a moderate accuracy in distinguishing liver fibrosis, it could be regarded as an alternative to MRE, since it is widely available and easily implemented in routine liver MRI.
ISSN:2366-004X
2366-0058
DOI:10.1007/s00261-021-03055-2