Clinical value of apparent diffusion coefficient in classification of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases

Objective To investigate the clinical value of apparent diffusion coefficient( ADC) in classification of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases. Methods A total of 63 chronic liver disease patients with liver fibrosis who were admitted to The Second People's Hospital of Zhuhai from December 2012 to June 2015 were analyzed retrospectively and divided into S0 group( 24 patients),S1 group( 18 patients),S2 group( 10 patients),S3 group( 6 patients),and S4 group( 5 patients) according to the fibrosis stage. All the patients received conventional magnetic resonance imaging scan and diffusion- weighted imaging,and ADC values were obtained. The Kruskal- Wallis H test was applied for comparison between multiple groups,and the Mann- Whitney U test was applied for further comparison between each two groups; the Spearman rank correlation analysis was applied for correlation analysis. Results Classification of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis was negatively correlated with ADC( r =- 0. 389,P < 0. 001); ADC showed significant differences between the five groups( H =19. 904,P < 0. 001); ADC value in the S0 group was significantly different from those in the S1,S2,S3,and S4 groups( U = 18. 5,3. 0,0 and 0,respectively,all P < 0. 05); ADC value in the S1 group was significantly different from those in the S2,S3,and S4 groups( U =129. 5,16. 5,and 70. 0,respectively,all P < 0. 05); the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for ADC value in quantitative evaluation of no liver fibrosis( S≥1) and moderate- to- severe liver fibrosis( S≥2) were 0. 950 and 0. 799,respectively,with sensitivities of 100% and 77. 8% and specificities of 89. 7% and 85. 7%. Conclusion ADC has a certain clinical value in classification of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases.