Objective: To determine the CT features capable of differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor invasion (BDTI) from intraductal cholangiocarcinoma (IDCC).
Methods: Multiphasic CT images of 14 patients with HCC with BDTI and 18 patients with IDCC were retrospectively reviewed. Analysis of the CT findings included the size, location, and margin of the intraductal mass, the enhancement pattern of intraductal lesions, degree of ductal dilatation, presence of downstream ductal dilatation and ductal wall thickening, presence of parenchymal mass and its size, continuity of parenchymal mass with intraductal mass, and liver cirrhosis. Objective evaluation of the enhancement patterns of intraductal tumors was done by measuring the CT attenuation coefficients of the tumors and the uninvolved hepatic parenchyma in each phase. Among these findings, statistically significant variables were then determined using Fisher exact test or Mann-Whitney test.
Results: Significant variables that helped differentiating HCC with BDTI from IDCC included the presence of parenchymal mass, liver cirrhosis, and the hyperattenuating intraductal tumor on the hepatic arterial phase (HAP). On unenhanced images, the tumor-to-liver contrast of IDCC (16.7 +/- 8.1) was greater than that of HCC with BDTI (6.4 +/- 10.4), but on HAP, that of HCC with BDTI (26.5 +/- 28.2) was greater than that of IDCC (5.9 +/- 18.7) (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a significant difference in the enhancement ratio of the intraductal tumors on portal venous phase (PVP) between the 2 conditions (P = 0.003).
Conclusions: Several objective and subjective multiphasic CT findings may help differentiating HCC with BDTI from IDCC.