Enlargement of hilar periportal space: A sign of early cirrhosis at MR imaging

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the finding of an enlarg ed hilar periportal space is a sign for early cirrhosis at magnetic resonan ce (MR) imaging. Forty-one pathologically proved cirrhotic patients in the early stage of disease who did not show conventional imaging findings of ci rrhosis (early cirrhosis group) and 47 patients without history of chronic liver diseases (control group) were included in this study. MR images were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated for the presence of enlargement of the periportal space. Enlargement of the periportal space was seen in 98 % of patients in the early cirrhosis group, while this finding was seen in 11% of patients in the control group (P < 0.0001). The mean value of the hi lar periportal fat thickness was significantly greater (P < 0.0001) in the early cirrhosis group (15.5 +/- 6.2 mm) than in the control group (5.3 +/- 3.1 mm). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive va lue of this finding for the MR diagnosis of cirrhosis with a cutoff value o f 10 mm were 93%, 92%, 92%, and 91%, respectively. Enlargement of the hilar periportal space is a helpful sign at MR imaging in the discrimination bet ween normal and early cirrhotic livers. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.