GASTROINTESTINAL IMAGING: Liver

Case Author: Cynthia Santillan, MD, University of California, San Diego

History

68-year-old woman with abdominal pain.

Imaging Findings

Axial T2-weighted MR images of the abdomen (A and B) show innumerable thin-walled high-signal-intensity structures of varying sizes throughout the liver. Axial T2-weighted image of the kidneys (C) shows nearly complete replacement of the renal parenchyma by high-signal-intensity structures.

Diagnosis

Polycystic liver disease

Teaching Points

Biliary hamartoma, Caroli disease, and polycystic liver disease are considered different types of fibropolycystic liver disease. All of these entities represent ductal plate malformations that occur in different sizes of intrahepatic ducts.

Cystic hepatic metastasis can result either from necrosis of solid metastatic lesions or from mucinous metastatic disease.

Common causes of hepatic abscesses are diverticulitis and cholangitis. Abscesses typically have a rim of enhancement and perilesional edema.

Suggested Reading

Brancatelli G, Federle MP, Vilgrain V, Vullierme M, Marin D, Lagalla R. Fibropolycystic liver disease: CT and MR imaging findings. RadioGraphics 2005; 25:659–670

Mortele KJ, Ros PR. Cystic focal liver lesions in the adult: differential CT and MR imaging features. RadioGraphics 2001; 21:895–910

This page is updated with new content weekly. It was last updated on September 24, 2018.