Pseudotumor appearance in chronic hepatitis

A pseudotumor appearance of the liver has not been previously described in chronic hepatitis. We reviewed 81 charts with a biopsy diagnosis of "chronic hepatitis" and at least one radiologic liver scan, and found four cases with a pseudotumor appearance. They all had features on radiologic scans suggestive of space-occupying lesions. Histology showed chronic hepatitis in all four. Two were cirrhotic, one due to alcohol and the other due to hepatitis B. The other two patients had chronic active hepatitis with regenerative nodules but only limited fibrosis, one due to hepatitis B, the other probable non-A, non-B. None had any evidence of hepatic malignancy. We conclude that some patients with chronic hepatitis may present with a pseudotumor appearance on radiological scans, due to the presence of regenerative nodules. Space-occupying lesions on liver scans in chronic hepatitis may represent non-neoplastic liver disease.