Simultaneous Multi-Slice DKI in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Correlation with Early Recurrence

Motivation: While DKI effectively predicts HCC malignancy, its clinical use is limited by lengthy acquisition times (4-5 min). Simultaneous Multi-Slice (SMS) technology shortens DKI scan times in liver imaging, yet its potential for predicting HCC recurrence remains unexplored. Goal(s): To evaluate SMS-DKI for predicting early recurrence in HCC and develop a predictive model. Approach: Sixty-seven HCC patients underwent MRI with SMS-accelerated DKI (140 sec) and routine sequences. Diffusion parameters and radiological features were analyzed by three radiologists. Results: SMS-MK, non-smooth margins, absence of capsule, and larger tumor volume were independent predictors, achieving an AUC of 0.94 in predictive model. Impact: The improved acquisition speed using SMS may facilitate the integration of DKI into routine liver imaging workflows. This preliminary evidence for SMS-DKI in predicting early recurrence in HCC also encourages further exploration of its applicability in other tumor types.