Transient peritumoral enhancement during dynamic MRI of the liver: cavernous hemangioma versus hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to compare the incidence and pattern of transient peritumoral parenchymal enhancement for cavernous hemangioma and hepatocellular carcinoma during dynamic MRI of the liver. METHOD: Two hundred seven hemangiomas and 155 hepatocellular carcinomas up to 4 cm in size were retrospectively assessed. The peritumoral enhancement was comparatively analyzed in terms of the shape, extent, signal intensity, and dependence on the size and degree of contrast enhancement of each tumor. RESULTS: For small lesions (<2 cm), hemangiomas (16/141; 11.3%) showed a higher incidence (p = 0.026) of peritumoral enhancement than hepatocellular carcinomas (3/87; 3.5%). For larger lesions (2-4 cm), there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the incidence of peritumoral enhancement of hemangiomas (15/66; 22.7%) and hepatocellular carcinomas (15/68; 22.1%). Nineteen (61.3%) of the 31 hemangiomas showed contrast agent filling the entire tumor volume at the phase of peritumoral enhancement. CONCLUSION: In spite of the limited specificity, for a <2 cm small focal lesion with homogeneous contrast enhancement on early phase dynamic MR images in the liver, peritumoral enhancement could suggest a higher possibility of hemangioma rather than hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Therapeutic ethanol injection of hepatocellular carcinomas undetectable by angiography and lipiodol computed tomography

Seven smaller than 2 cm in diameter hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) undetectable by hepatic arteriography and computed tomography (CT) after intraarterial injection of iodized oil (Lipiodol CT) were diagnosed by ultrasonography-guided fine-needle biopsy in 6 patients. All lesions were treated by percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in 1–3 weekly intervals. No recurrences have been demonstrated after 7–15 months. The treatment of HCCs undetectable by angiography and Lipiodol CT presents a problem as transcatheter arterial embolization is considered ineffective due to, poor vascularity. PEI appears to be an excellent treatment for these small HCCs.     

Distinction between hemangioma of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma: value of labeled RBC-SPECT scanning

The role of adding single-photon emission CT (SPECT) to 99mTc-labeled RBC imaging of the liver was evaluated by specifically focusing on the differentiation between hepatic hemangioma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Planar RBC imaging followed by blood-pool SPECT scanning was performed in 77 patients with a total of 108 hemangiomas and in 29 patients with a total of 46 hepatocellular carcinomas. All lesions were smaller than 5 cm in diameter. Thirty-six (33%) of 108 hemangiomas were detected by planar delayed RBC imaging, whereas 63 (58%) were detected by the delayed RBC-SPECT scan. The smallest hemangioma shown by delayed RBC-SPECT scanning was 1.4 cm in diameter, compared with 1.7 cm by planar RBC scanning. When confined to nodules larger than 1.4 cm in diameter, 42% of hemangiomas (36/85) were detected by planar delayed RBC imaging, whereas 74% (63/85) were detected by delayed RBC-SPECT. Increase in sensitivity was noted in nodules 2.1-4.0 cm in diameter. No hepatocellular carcinomas were shown by delayed RBC planar or SPECT scans. We concluded that with the addition of SPECT, the sensitivity of delayed RBC scans in the detection of small hemangiomas is considerably improved. Delayed RBC-SPECT scanning can be used to distinguish hemangioma from hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Large-sized hepotocellular carcinoma (HCC): a neoadjuvant treatment protocol with repetitive transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) before percutaneous MR-guided laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT)

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a neoadjuvant treatment protocol with repeated transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) before MR-guided laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) for large-sized hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Repeated TACE (mean, 3.5 treatments per patient) was performed in 48 patients with neoadjuvant intention (the largest lesion was between 50 and 80 mm in diameter, and there were no more than five lesions). For the TACE treatment, we used 10 mg/m² mitomycin, 10 ml/m² Lipiodol and microspheres. The tumor volume was measured by MRI. Lipiodol retention of the tumors was evaluated with CT. After the diameter of the tumors had decreased to less than 50 mm, the patients were treated with MR-guided LITT 4 to 6 weeks after embolization. Repeated TACE reduced the tumor size in 32 patients (66.7%), forming the basis for performing MR-guided LITT procedures. These patients received one to four laser treatments (mean, 1.9 per patient) for tumor ablation, resulting in a median survival of 36.0 months after the first treatment. For the remaining patients, no reduction in tumor size was achieved in 12 patients and disease progression in 4 patients. Neoadjuvant TACE appears to be an effective treatment of large-sized HCC, which extends the indication for MR-guided LITT.     

The magnetic resonance of small hepatocarcinoma. A comparison with echography, computed tomography, digital angiography and computed tomography with lipiodol]

Diagnostic techniques as a whole and periodic ultrasonography (US) in particular frequently allows tumors < 3 cm (small hepatocellular carcinomas) to be detected in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis. Multifocal diseases are a major limitation to surgery. Recently, MR imaging has shown its capabilities in the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinomas. In our study the diagnostic value of MR imaging was compared with that of US, of pre- and post-contrast CT, of digital angiography and of CT after lipiodol injection (Lipiodol CT). The morphologic and signal intensity MR features of small hepatocellular carcinomas were investigated. Fifteen cirrhotic patients with 31 nodules of hepatocellular carcinoma < 3 cm were examined. All patients were studied with US, MR imaging, angiography and Lipiodol CT; 12/15 patients underwent CT. Histologic confirmation was obtained in 12 nodules (2 at surgery and 10 by means of percutaneous biopsy); in the extant 19 cases the diagnosis was made by combining US, CT, MR, angiographic and lipiodol-CT findings; in 9 tumors < 1 cm Lipiodol retention one month after angiography was considered as diagnostic. MR imaging detected 21/31 nodules (63%), US 22/31 (66.6%), CT 12/24 (50%), angiography 24/31 (74%), lipiodol CT 29/31 (92.5%). Mc Nemar test showed no difference in sensitivity between MR imaging and CT, MR and angiography, MR and US, lipiodol CT and angiography; however, the differences between the detection rates of MR imaging and Lipiodol CT and CT and lipiodol CT and US were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The difference in sensitivity between the detection rates of lipiodol CT and US was just above the threshold value which is usually considered significant (p = 0.065). One false positive was observed on US and none with MR, CT, angiography and lipiodol CT. On Se T1-weighted images 18 nodules were hyperintense, 2 isointense and 2 hypointense; on proton-density images 14 nodules were hyperintense, 7 isointense and none hypointense. On SE T2-weighted images 18 nodules were hyperintense, 3 isointense and none hypointense. A pseudocapsule was seen in 10/17 nodules (58%), especially on T1-weighted images. Accuracy and limitations of each technique and morphologic and signal intensity MR findings of small hepatocellular carcinoma are discussed. We believe that US is still the best diagnostic technique for the screening of hepatocellular carcinomas in cirrhotic livers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Dense parenchymal accumulation of Lipiodol after transarterial chemoembolization.

Dense accumulation of Lipiodol in hepatic segmental parenchyma was studied by computed tomography (CT) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatic tumor. Six patients showed dense accumulation of Lipiodol in hepatic segmental parenchyma on CT two weeks after TACE. Four of the six showed parenchymal accumulation of Lipiodol as dense as that in a tumor at three weeks after TACE. Therefore, it was considered that evaluation with CT should be performed after one month or more in order to differentiate between Lipiodol accumulation in tumors and that in non-neoplastic liver parenchyma.     

Hemangioma in the cirrhotic liver: diagnosis and natural history

PURPOSE: To investigate the natural history and diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma in the cirrhotic liver with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Imaging and pathologic findings of 21 hemangiomas in 17 patients were retrospectively reviewed. CT of the liver was performed in all patients; MR imaging, in four. Cirrhosis was confirmed histologically in all patients, and the diagnosis of hemangioma was based on histopathologic findings (15 patients, 18 hemangiomas) or strict imaging criteria (two patients, three hemangiomas). Ten patients underwent imaging follow-up. The number, sizes, location, attenuation, pattern of enhancement, exophytic growth, presence of capsular retraction, and size stability were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 21 hemangiomas, five were not detected at CT or MR imaging. Twelve (75%) of 16 hemangiomas were subcapsular, two (12%) of 16 demonstrated exophytic growth, 14 (87%) of 16 demonstrated nodular peripheral enhancement, and 16 (100%) of 16 were isoattenuating to blood vessels. At MR imaging, all five hemangiomas demonstrated nodular peripheral enhancement and hyperintensity on T2-weighted images. Seven lesions were smaller at follow-up, and five lesions developed retraction of the hepatic capsule. CONCLUSION: Even within the cirrhotic liver, larger hemangiomas can usually be diagnosed confidently with CT or MR imaging. With progressive cirrhosis, however, hemangiomas are likely to decrease in size, become more fibrotic, and are difficult to diagnose radiologically and pathologically.     

Metastatic nodules of hepatocellular carcinoma: detection with angiography, CT, and US

Accurate detection of intrahepatic metastases, or daughter nodules, of primary hepatocellular carcinoma is of crucial importance. Due to the introduction of infusion hepatic angiography, computed tomography (CT) after Lipiodol (iodized oil) infusion, and intraoperative ultrasound (US), tumors less than 10 mm in diameter are now frequently found. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of these three modalities in the detection of nodules in 45 patients who had hepatocellular carcinoma (confirmed by biopsy). CT with Lipiodol was superior to hepatic angiography in demonstrating nodules when they were overlapped by the primary tumor or very small in size. Intraoperative US demonstrated nodules in four avascular or hypovascular hepatocellular carcinomas, which both hepatic angiography and CT failed to demonstrate. In cases associated with severe liver cirrhosis, differentiation of small nodules from regenerating cirrhotic nodules was sometimes difficult with intraoperative US. The combined use of these three modalities is indispensable for the accurate detection of small nodules of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.     

经导管肝动脉化疗栓塞术的技术细节与进展

经导管肝动脉化疗栓塞术（TACE）是治疗肝癌的最常用方法,但其技术细节存在较多争议,难以标准化。通过文献复习,笔者发现：超选择插管是TACE的基本要求;碘油以其可塑的栓塞作用成为不可或缺的栓塞材料;追加固体栓塞材料可延长生存期;化疗药物的作用值得质疑;"按需TACE"与"TACE抵抗"的理念逐渐被接受。本文就此进行了综述。     

Therapeutically infarcted tumors: ct findings

The CT findings in 14 patients who underwent hepatic or renal embolizations are presented. In 11 patients who had postinfarction CT studies, linear, branching air collections were noted within the embolized tumor. In two patients the amount of air increased on later CT studies. This configuration of air suggested an abscess, but in no case was an abscess encountered. This air was located distal to the high density embolization material in four cases. In four cases the infarcted organ appeared denser due to "trapped contrast." The seven embolized livers did not change in size on follow-up examinations, while three renal tumors demonstrated variable size changes after embolization.     

Lipiodol-Cisplatin embolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Radiological techinique and evaluation

In a 1-year period, 14 patients with inoperable, biopsy-proven hepatocellular cacinoma (HCC) underwent 18 superselective catheterisations of the proper hepatic artery with combined injection of Cisplatin and Liodol. According to Okuda et al. [1], patients were classified into clinical Stages I (2), II (7) and III (5). All 5 Stage III patients died during follow-up. Distal superselective catheterisation of the proper hepatic artery, in order to avoid Lipiodol embolism to the gastroduodenal, gastric or other anastomotic arteries was possible with conventional diagnostic catheters use and inexpensive coaxial (5 cases) or, an easry-to-use an inexpensive coaxial catheterisation system (13 cases). Radiological follow-up was by means of computed tomography (CT) 24 h and 6 weeks after chemoembolisation. Further CT studies were performed depending on the patient's progress. Twelve patients had CT follow-up over at least 6 weeks. Hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas tend to diminish in volume, especially those which retain Lipiodol after 6 weeks, and survival after intra-arterial chemotheraphy is shorter in patients with hypovascular tumours which do not retain Lipiodol. We have treated only a limited number of patients, but consider chemoembolisation okf inoperable HCC with Lipiodol and Cisplatin as useful treatment for Okuda Stage 1 and II patients, but not for those in Stage III. Hypervascularity and Lipiodol retention on follow-up CT could indicate a favourable prognosis. Offprint requests to: A. L. Baert     

经微导管局部灌注无水乙醇治疗肝癌高流量性动静脉瘘

目的：探讨经微导管血管内局部灌注无水乙醇栓塞治疗肝癌动静脉瘘的可行性及临床疗效。方法：对29例肝癌患者动静脉瘘血管分别应用微导管行超选择性插管局部灌注无水乙醇，造影观察动静脉瘘闭塞情况及对非靶血管的影响。结果：29例肝癌患者共发现41支动静脉瘘血管，单支血管局部灌注无水乙醇1-6次，2-3ml/次，总量2-12ml。造影示瘘管全部闭塞，非靶血管保持通畅，随后经导管动脉化疗栓塞（TACE）碘油沉积满意，临床症状明显好转或消失。结论：应用微导管局部灌注无水乙醇可安全有效地治疗肝癌动静脉瘘，为肝癌TACE治疗创造有利条件。     

超选择性肝动脉栓塞与射频消融术联合治疗小肝癌

目的评价肝动脉化疗碘油栓塞术(TACE)与射频消融术(RFA)联合介入治疗原发性小肝癌的临床价值。方法21例原发性小肝癌先行超选择性供瘤血管碘油栓塞,对残留癌灶行射频消融术联合介入治疗。结果21例原发性小肝癌治疗后1、2、3年生存率分别为100%、92.7%、77.7%,中位生存期为26.8个月。结论原发性小肝癌行碘油栓塞术与射频消融术联合介入治疗临床效果显著是一项重要的治疗方案。     

Hepatic Cavernous Hemangioma in Cirrhotic Liver: Imaging Findings

Objective

To document the imaging findings of hepatic cavernous hemangioma detected in cirrhotic liver.

Materials and Methods

The imaging findings of 14 hepatic cavernous hemangiomas in ten patients with liver cirrhosis were retrospectively analyzed. A diagnosis of hepatic cavernous hemangioma was based on the findings of two or more of the following imaging studies: MR, including contrast-enhanced dynamic imaging (n = 10), dynamic CT (n = 4), hepatic arteriography (n = 9), and US (n = 10).

Results

The mean size of the 14 hepatic hemangiomas was 0.9 (range, 0.5-1.5) cm in the longest dimension. In 11 of these (79%), contrast-enhanced dynamic CT and MR imaging showed rapid contrast enhancement of the entire lesion during the early phase, and hepatic arteriography revealed globular enhancement and rapid filling-in. On contrast-enhanced MR images, three lesions (21%) showed partial enhancement until the 5-min delayed phases. US indicated that while three slowly enhancing lesions were homogeneously hyperechoic, 9 (82%) of 11 showing rapid enhancement were not delineated.

Conclusion

The majority of hepatic cavernous hemangiomas detected in cirrhotic liver are small in size, and in many, hepatic arteriography and/or contrast-enhanced dynamic CT and MR imaging demonstrates rapid enhancement. US, however, fails to distinguish a lesion of this kind from its cirrhotic background.     

碘油—微球乳剂填塞治疗肝脏巨大海绵状血管瘤

本文报导２０例经证实的肝脏海绵状血管瘤行肝动脉支插管，用磺油—微球乳剂行肿瘤填塞治疗。其中８例行股动脉插管进行，均能达到碘油沉积、瘤体缩小，纤维化的目的。并对其治疗机理和疗效、Ｘ线征象和瘤体纤维化的关系进行了分析。     

肝动脉化疗栓塞后碘油在肝癌内聚积、存留和消失的血管造影、CT与病理对照研究

用血管造影和ＣＴ对照分析肝动脉化疗栓塞后碘油在肝癌内的初期聚积特点，用ＣＴ动态观察碘油在肝癌内的存留和消失时间，同时与栓塞后切除标本行病理对照研究。结果表明：碘油能选择性聚积于多血供的肝癌内，且聚积量与肿瘤血供有关。少血供肝癌无或少有碘油聚积。碘油能选择性聚积并持续存留部是肿瘤栓后坏死区，一般存留２～６月甚至更长，伴肿瘤明显缩小；碘油虽能选择性聚积但逐渐消失部是肿瘤栓后存活区，一般１～２月消失，肿瘤缩小不明显或反增大。少量碘油在非癌肝实质一般２周消失。对碘油聚积、存留物消失问题的阐明，为肝癌的介入治疗提供了理论依据。     

儿童肝脏血管瘤的介入治疗方法及疗效的初步探讨

目的探索儿童肝脏血管瘤的介入治疗方法及疗效。 方法回顾性分析我院31例实施肝脏血管瘤介入治疗患者的临床资料。年龄6 d至9岁；先天型肝脏血管瘤26例，婴儿型肝脏血管瘤5例；肝脏多发病变5例，单发病变26例。所有患者均接受CT平扫、CT增强扫描以及肝脏血管瘤硬化栓塞术。依据患者治疗前后CT影像学表现，分析肝脏血管瘤硬化栓塞术对不同分型患者治疗疗效。采用配对样本t检验分别比较婴儿型及先天型肝血管瘤介入治疗术前、术后体积差异。 结果23例接受单次介入治疗，6例接受2次介入治疗，2例接受3次介入治疗。26例患儿接受随访，包括先天型肝血管瘤23例，婴儿型肝血管瘤3例。11例瘤体完全消失，患儿完全康复，15例瘤体部分缩小（4例缩小70%以上，效果显著；6例缩小30%~50%，部分有效；5例缩小低于30%，效果欠佳）。先天型肝血管瘤术前、术后平均体积分别为（161.86 ± 21.40）cm³、（41.46 ± 9.73）cm³，婴儿型肝血管瘤术前、术后平均体积分别为（22.73 ± 1.92）cm³、（11.18 ± 3.18）cm³，术前、术后体积差异均具有统计学意义（P < 0.001）。 结论肝脏血管瘤硬化栓塞术是一种安全、有效的微创治疗方法，对儿童肝脏血管瘤治疗效果较好，且术前分型是儿童肝脏血管瘤介入治疗疗效的重要因素。     

Hepatic tumors: dynamic MR imaging

Thirty-six patients with hepatic tumors (28 hepatocellular carcinomas, seven cavernous hemangiomas, one metastatic tumor) were examined with serial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, after a bolus intravenous injection of 0.05 mmol/kg gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. A typical MR imaging pattern for hemangiomas (present in five of seven cases [71.4%]) was a lesion of diminished signal intensity on precontrast images, peripheral contrast enhancement during the bolus dynamic phase, and complete fill-in of high signal intensity on delayed scan images. Twenty-eight hepatocellular carcinomas showed a variety of contrast enhancement patterns during the dynamic phase. In 21 patients (75%), there was no area of high signal intensity within the tumor on the delayed phase. A peripheral halo with delayed enhancement was noticed in 12 patients (42.8%) Histologic correlation in hepatocellular carcinomas showed that the degree of contrast enhancement corresponded to tumor vascularity and that the peripheral halo corresponded to fibrous capsular structure.     

Treatment of Liver Tumors with Lipiodol TACE: Technical Recommendations from Experts Opinion

Transarterial chemoembolization with Lipiodol (Lipiodol TACE), also called conventional TACE, was developed in the early 1980s and widely adopted worldwide after randomized control trials and meta-analysis demonstrated superiority of Lipiodol TACE to best supportive care. Presently, there is no level one evidence that other TACE techniques are superior to Lipiodol TACE for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which includes patients with preserved liver function and nonsurgical large or multinodular HCC without distant metastases. In addition, TACE is part of the treatment for progressive or symptomatic liver metastases from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. When injected into the hepatic artery, Lipiodol has the unique property of selective uptake and retention in hyperarterialyzed liver tumors. Lipiodol/drug emulsion followed by particle embolization has been demonstrated to improve the pharmacokinetic of the drug and tumor response. Radio opacity of Lipiodol helps to monitor treatment delivery, with retention of Lipiodol serving as an imaging biomarker for tumor response. For 30 years, Lipiodol TACE has been inconsistently referenced in many publications with various levels of details for the method of preparation and administration, with reported progressive outcomes following improvements in the technique and the devices used to deliver the treatment and better patient selection. Consequently, there is no consensus on the standard method of TACE regarding the use of anticancer agents, embolic material, technical details, and the treatment schedule. In order to develop an internationally validated technical recommendation to standardize the Lipiodol TACE procedure, a worldwide panel of experts participated in a consensus meeting held on May 10, 2014 .     

Magnetic resonance imaging of chronic bleeding into a giant hepatic hemangioma

Hepatic hemangiomas are the most common benign mesenchymal hepatic tumors. They are usually asymptomatic and most of them are discovered incidentally during an imaging test performed for various indications. However, spontaneous intratumoral bleeding or rupture is possible and usually occurs in large hemangiomas that are peripherally located. In this paper, we present a case of a patient with an asymptomatic bleeding into hepatic hemangioma. Reviewing the literature we found no reports on accidental finding of bleeding with absence of clinical symptoms. Intratumoral bleeding in hepatic hemangioma is suggested by presence of high density areas within the tumor on nonenhanced CT images and high signal intensity areas on T1-weighted MR images, best depicted on fat-suppressed sequences. Presence of typical enhancement features of hemangioma and marked high signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences in spared nonhemorrhagic areas allow the specific diagnosis. In this paper we describe changes that occur in hepatic hematomas during long follow-up period using magnetic resonance imaging.