QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF CHRONIC DIFFUSE LIVER-DISEASE BY STIR MRI

Objective: The purpose of our study was to characterize the relationsh ip between signal intensity on STIR MRI, histology, and liver function . Materials and Methods: MRI was performed in 39 patients with chronic liver diseases [chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), chronic active he patitis (CAH), liver cirrhosis (LC)] and 11 patients without liver dys function (normal). Results: On STIR images, very low signal intensitie s compared with those of the spleen were seen in all 11 normal livers (100%), and brighter intensities were seen in chronic diffuse liver di seases (10 patients with CPH, 11 patients with CAH, and 18 patients wi th LC) (100%). The higher the signal grade on STIR images (moderate, m arked), the more advanced was the chronic diffuse liver disease (p < 0 .02). The levels of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic and glutamic-pyruvic tr ansaminase increased in parallel with increasing signal intensity on S TIR images (both p < 0.01). Conclusion: We found that the signal inten sity of liver on STIR images appeared to be associated with the degree of histologic and/or clinical severity in patients with chronic liver disease.