Abstract: Objective To analyze the correlation between magnetic resonance (MR) signal characteristics and recurrence time after resection of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Patients, who received small HCC with recurrent liver cancer or no recurrence within 36 months after operation from February 2011 to November 2016 in our hospital, were enrolled. All of the patients received dynamic contrast-enhanced MR scan within 1 month before operation. Preoperative MR, T1WI, T2WI and DWI sequence, as well as signal values of arterial, portal and delayed phase of dynamic enhanced scanning were recorded. The signal value ratio of the lesions to the adjacent liver in arterial, portal and delayed phase was calculated. Results For 26 patients enrolled in the study, including 9 cases with recurrence time of more than 36 months, 10 cases with recurrence time of more than 12 months and less than 36 months, and 7 cases with recurrence time of less than 12 months. Signal characteristics of T2WI sequence were statistically significant between the group with recurrence time more than 36 months and the group with recurrence time more than 12 months and less than 36 months (P<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between DWI sequence and dynamic contrast-enhanced scan among groups with different recurrence time. Conclusion MR signal characteristics of small HCC could be used to predict the recurrence time after surgical resection.

Key words: Small hepatocellular carcinoma, Cancer free survival, MR