We aimed to investigate the accuracy of each imaging feature of LI-RADS treatment response (LR-TR) viable category for diagnosing tumor viability of locoregional therapy (LRT)-treated HCC. Studies evaluating the per feature accuracy of the LR-TR viable category on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT or MRI were identified in databases. A bivariate random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of LR-TR viable features. Ten studies assessing the accuracies of LR-TR viable features (1153 treated observations in 971 patients) were included. The pooled sensitivities and specificities for diagnosing viable HCC were 81% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63-92%) and 95% (95% CI, 88-98%) for nodular, mass-like, or irregular thick tissue (NMLIT) with arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE), 55% (95% CI, 34-75%) and 96% (95% CI, 94-98%) for NMLIT with washout appearance, and 21% (95% CI, 6-53%) and 98% (95% CI, 92-100%) for NMLIT with enhancement similar to pretreatment, respectively. Of these features, APHE showed the highest pooled DOR (81 [95% CI, 25-261]), followed by washout appearance (32 [95% CI, 13-82]) and enhancement similar to pretreatment (14 [95% CI, 5-39]). In conclusion, APHE provided the highest sensitivity and DOR for diagnosing viable HCC following LRT, while enhancement similar to pretreatment showed suboptimal performance.
Keywords: Liver Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (LI-RADS); hepatocellular carcinoma; liver neoplasms; meta-analysis; systematic review; treatment outcome.