Background Several MRI-based models for postsurgical prediction of cancer recurrence have been proposed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but they were predominantly developed using mixed populations including large and multiple tumors, limiting their applicability in patients with small solitary HCC. Purpose To train and test an MRI-based Early Recurrence Individualized Score (MERIS) to help predict early recurrence following resection in patients with solitary HCCs 5 cm or smaller and to com