Preoperative ternary classification using DCE-MRI radiomics and machine learning for HCC, ICC, and HIPT.

Objectives: This study develops a machine learning model using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) radiomics and clinical data to preoperatively differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor (HIPT), addressing limitations of conventional diagnostics.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 280 patients (HCC = 160, ICC = 80, HIPT = 40) who underwent DCE-MRI from 2008 to 2024 at three hospitals. Radiomics features and clinical data were extracted and analyzed using LASSO regression and machine learning algorithms (Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting), with class weighting (HCC:ICC:HIPT = 1:2:4) to address class imbalance. Models were compared using macro-average Area Under the Curve (AUC), accuracy, recall, and precision.

Results: The fusion model, integrating radiomics and clinical features, achieved an AUC of 0.933 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95) and 84.5% accuracy, outperforming radiomics-only (AUC = 0.856, 72.6%) and clinical-only (AUC = 0.795, 66.7%) models (p < 0.05). Rim enhancement is a key model feature for distinguishing HCC from ICC and HIPT, while hepatic lobe atrophy distinguishes ICC and HIPT from HCC.

Conclusion: This study developed a novel preoperative imaging-based model to differentiate HCC, ICC, and HIPT. The fusion model performed exceptionally well, demonstrating superior accuracy in ICC identification, significantly outperforming traditional diagnostic methods (e.g., radiology and biomarkers) and single-modality machine learning models (p < 0.05). This noninvasive approach enhances diagnostic precision and supports personalized treatment planning in liver disease management.

Critical relevance statement: This study develops a novel preoperative imaging-based machine learning model to differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor (HIPT), improving diagnostic accuracy and advancing personalized treatment strategies in clinical radiology.

Key points: A machine learning model integrates DCE-MRI radiomics and clinical data for liver lesion differentiation. The fusion model outperforms single-modality models with 0.933 AUC and 84.5% accuracy. This model provides a noninvasive, reliable tool for personalized liver disease diagnosis and treatment planning.