Purpose: To evaluate the natural history and contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) features of postoxaliplatin heterogeneity of liver parenchyma (POHL) and to investigate the association of POHL with clinical factors and biomarkers of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS).
Materials and methods: The retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. Two hundred seventy patients (159 men, 111 women; age range, 31-92 years) who underwent oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (OBC) and serial contrast-enhanced CT were consecutively registered. POHL severity was independently scored by two abdominal imagers, who were blinded to the clinical data, using a six-point scale (POHL presence, ≥4), followed by a consensus review. Complete radiologic remission was determined by consensus on the disappearance of heterogeneity on CT images. The association of POHL severity score with CT-based quantitative (ie, change in spleen size and blood-free hepatic parenchymal attenuation) and laboratory values (ie, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and platelet count), as well as time to complete radiologic remission, were evaluated with the Spearman rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the association between clinical factors of SOS (ie, age, sex, number of OBC sessions, chemotherapy regimen, bevacizumab use, and presence of concomitant hepatic metastasis) and POHL development. RESULTS Interobserver agreement was excellent (κ = 0.90). POHL was present in 167 (61.9%) of 270 patients, and the number of OBC sessions was significantly associated with POHL development (odds ratio, 1.138; 95% confidence interval: 1.039, 1.245; P = .005). POHL severity score was correlated with quantitative CT and laboratory values (P < .05 for all statistical analysis). Peripheral distribution (103 of 167, 61.7%) and right lobar predominance (103 of 165, 62.4%) were the most common POHL features. The mean time to complete radiologic remission, which was correlated with POHL severity score, was 82.5 days ± 68.8 after OBC discontinuation.
Conclusion: POHL development is associated with increased number of OBC sessions, and POHL severity was correlated with various biomarkers of SOS.