Magnetic resonance-based total liver volume and magnetic resonance-diffusion weighted imaging for staging liver fibrosis in mini-pigs

Figure 1 Magnetic resonance images. A-C: In a mini-pig with liver fibrosis stage 2, diffusion weighted images of the liver are obtained with b values of 300, 500 and 800 s/mm², respectively; D-F: Corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient maps. Three regions of interest are carefully drawn on the right lobes of the liver for each b values; G: A manual tracing of the liver is shown on an axial contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and the outline shows the liver areas (S).

Figure 2 Photomicrograph (original magnification, ×400; Masson’s trichrome stains) of histologic sections from liver biopsy specimens in a mini-pig with stage 2 liver fibrosis shows liver periportal fibrosis.

Figure 3 Box plots. A-D: Total liver volume (TLV), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the liver for b = 300 s/mm², 500 s/mm² and 800 s/mm² corresponding to fibrosis stages, respectively. In A, symbols a and b indicate extreme outliers of TLV in stage 2 and 3, respectively; and symbol c in C and symbol d in D indicate extreme outliers of ADC for b = 500 s/mm² in stage 4 and for b = 800 s/mm² in stage 3, respectively. Horizontal bars represent medians of TLV or ADC.