Material decomposition using iodine quantification on spectral CT for characterising nodules in the cirrhotic liver: a retrospective study

European Radiology Experimental

Table 4 Material density parameters of malignant and benign nodules on spectral computed tomography

MD parameters	Malignant (HCC and indeterminate) 147	Benign (regenerative) 183	p value
On HAP
ICD_nodule (mg/mL)	19 (16–25)	9 (4–15)	< 0.001
LNR	2.8 (1.8–5.5)	0.8 ( 0.5–1.8)	< 0.001
NIC (mg/mL)	0.2 (0.1–0.2)	0.1 (0.04–0.1)	< 0.001
ICD_liver (mg/mL)	6 (3–11)	8 (4–12)	0.002
On PVP
ICD_nodule (mg/mL)	10 (6–14)	13 (8–19)	0.004
LNR	0.6 (0.4– 0.8)	0.6 (0.4–0.8)	0.869
NIC (mg/mL)	0.2 (0.1–0.4)	0.3 (0.2–0.5)	0.003
ICD_liver (mg/mL)	16 (12–23)	18 (14–27)	0.007
Difference between HAP and PVP
ΔICD_nodule (mg/mL) Mean ± SD	8.3±11.2	-2.9 ± 9.5	< 0.001

All MD values are presented as median (interquartile range)
HAP Hepatic arterial phase, ICD Iodine concentration density, LNR Lesion-to-normal liver iodine density (LNR = ICD lesion/ICD normal liver), MD Material density of iodine, NIC Normalised iodine concentration (NIC = ratio of ICD_nodule/ICD_aorta), PVP Portal venous phase, SD Standard deviation, ΔICD Delta iodine concentration (ΔICD = ICD_nodule HAP minus ICD_nodule PVP)