Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between magnetic resonance (MR) signal characteristics and histopathological classification of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Twenty-one patients with single histopathological type were enrolled in the study, who were diagnosed of small HCC in our hospital from October 2009 to December 2017. Dynamic contrast- enhanced MR scan was performed in all cases within 1 month before operation. Patients were classified into 3 groups according to world health organization (WHO) pathological classification criteria, including pseudoglandular type (n=10), compact type (n=5) and trabecular type (n=6). Ratio of lesion signal value to adjacent liver background signal value was calculated and analyzed in T1 weighted imaginge (T1WI), T2 weighted imaginge (T2WI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast- enhanced MR scan during arterial phase, portal phase and delayed phase, respectively. Results T2WI signal value in compact type was significantly different from that in pseudoglandular type (P<0.01) and trabecular type (P<0.05). T1WI signal value showed significant differences between pseudoglandular type and compact type (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in DWI sequence and dynamic contrast-enhanced scan among different histopathological types. Conclusion The signal values of MR T1WI and T2WI in small HCC are correlated with histopathological types.

Key words: Small hepatocellular carcinoma, Histopathological classification, MR