CT evaluation of hepatic injury following proton beam irradiation: Appearance, enhancement, and 3D size reduction pattern

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term imaging appearances of hepatic injury following proton beam irradiation. The time-attenuation curves, time of appearance and recovery, and 3D size reduction pattern are described in patients of different ages and genders with different irradiation doses, irradiated portals, and Child groups. Method: Forty-six patients with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent 50 to 84 Gy proton beam irradiation in periods of 14-52 days. CT including noncontrast and dynamic study was performed every 3 months starting 3 weeks after the end of irradiation. The 3D volume measurement of areas of radiation-induced hepatic injury was performed through incremental dynamic CT images in every follow-up study. CT follow-up study of the patients was done for 12-76 months. Results: Radiation-induced hepatic injury was observed as low attenuation areas on noncontrast CT and enhanced areas on dynamic study in the regions corresponding to the irradiation portals. Of our cases, 67.5% showed the appearance of radiation hepatitis in 3-4 weeks and 95.3% in 3-4 months after the end of irradiation. In both periods, there was a significant delay in the female patients. The time-attenuation curve showed an early and prolonged enhancement of the irradiated regions. The volume reduction pattern of the injured areas was found to be longstanding, exponential, and directed from periphery to the center. Conclusion: Early appearance of radiation-induced hepatic injury was found only to be gender dependent, with a tendency to occur with higher irradiated doses; no other parameters affected this phenomenon in our cases.