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Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: Correlation between MR features and pathological tumor grades

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Summary

This study investigated the accuracy of MRI features in differentiating the pathological grades of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs). A total of 31 PNENs patients were retrospectively evaluated, including 19 cases in grade 1, 5 in grade 2, and 7 in grade 3. Plain and contrastenhanced MRI was performed on all patients. MRI features including tumor size, margin, signal intensity, enhancement patterns, degenerative changes, duct dilatation and metastasis were analyzed. Chi square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, one-way ANOVA and ROC analysis were conducted to assess the associations between MRI features and different tumor grades. It was found that patients with older age, tumors with higher TNM stage and without hormonal syndrome had higher grade of PNETs (all P<0.05). Tumor size, shape, margin and growth pattern, tumor pattern, pancreatic and bile duct dilatation and presence of lymphatic and distant metastasis as well as MR enhancement pattern and tumor-topancreas contrast during arterial phase were the key features differentiating tumors of all grades (all P<0.05). ROC analysis revealed that the tumor size with threshold of 2.8 cm, irregular shape, pancreatic duct dilatation and lymphadenopathy showed satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing grade 3 from grade 1 and grade 2 tumors. Features of peripancreatic tissue or vascular invasion, and distant metastasis showed high specificity but relatively low sensitivity. In conclusion, larger size, poorlydefined margin, heterogeneous enhanced pattern during arterial phase, duct dilatation and the presence of metastases are common features of higher grade PNENs. Plain and contrast-enhanced MRI provides the ability to differentiate tumors with different pathological grades.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China

    Feng Jin  (金 凤), Xin Li  (李 欣), Feng Guo  (郭 丰), Gui-na Ma  (马桂娜), Xue-han Hu  (扈雪晗) & Ping Han  (韩 萍)

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010050, China

    Kai Wang  (王 凯)

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Ting-ting Qin  (秦婷婷)

Authors
  1. Feng Jin  (金 凤)
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  2. Kai Wang  (王 凯)
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  3. Ting-ting Qin  (秦婷婷)
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  4. Xin Li  (李 欣)
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  5. Feng Guo  (郭 丰)
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  6. Gui-na Ma  (马桂娜)
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  7. Xue-han Hu  (扈雪晗)
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  8. Ping Han  (韩 萍)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ping Han  (韩 萍).

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Jin, F., Wang, K., Qin, Tt. et al. Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: Correlation between MR features and pathological tumor grades. J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 37, 587–595 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-017-1777-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-017-1777-x

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