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Significant advances in liver imaging technology have facilitated the early detection of subcentimeter hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to diagnose subcentimeter HCC based on the typical imaging features of HCC. Ancillary imaging features such as T2 weightedimaging mild-moderate hyperintensity, restricted diffusion, and hepatobiliary phase hypointensity may improve the diagnostic accuracy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for subcentimeter HCC. More information is needed to choose between immediate treatment or watchful waiting in subcentimeter HCC. Surgical resection, ablation, and transarterial chemoembolization are effective and safe methods for the management of subcentimeter HCC.

Background: Appropriate preoperative identification of iCCA subtype is essential for personalized management, so the aim of this study is to investigate the role of MR imaging features in preoperatively differentiating the iCCA subtype. Methods: Ninety-three patients with mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA, 63 small duct type and 30 large duct type) were retrospectively enrolled according to the latest 5th WHO classification (mean age, males vs. females: 60.66 ± 10.53 vs. 61.88 ± 12.82, 50 men). Significant imaging features for differentiating large duct iCCA and small duct iCCA were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and a regression-based predictive model was then generated. Furthermore, diagnostic performance parameters of single significant imaging features and the predictive model were obtained, and corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were subsequently presented. Results: The univariate analysis showed that tumor in vein, arterial phase hypoenhancement, intrahepatic duct dilatation, lack of targetoid restriction and lack of targetoid appearance in T2 were predictors of large duct type iCCA. Arterial phase hypoenhancement, intrahepatic duct dilatation and lack of targetoid restriction were independent predictors for large duct type iCCA in multivariate analysis. The regression-based predictive model has achieved the best preoperative prediction performance in iCCA subcategorization so far. The area under the ROC curve of the regression-based predictive model was up to 0.91 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.98), and it was significantly higher than every single significant imaging feature. Conclusions: Arterial phase hypoenhancement, intrahepatic duct dilatation and lack of targetoid restriction could be considered reliable MR imaging indicators of large duct type iCCA. MR imaging features can facilitate noninvasive prediction of iCCA subtype with satisfactory predictive performance.