Hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents are one of several classes of contrast agents available for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver. These agents are taken up by functioning hepatocytes and excreted in the bile, and their paramagnetic properties cause shortening of the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of the liver and biliary tree. The three contrast agents that have been developed are mangafodipir trisodium (Mn-DPDP), gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA), and gadoxetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA). These three MR contrast agents vary in mode of administration and dose, mechanism of cellular uptake, degree of excretion through the biliary pathway, and imaging characteristics. In the liver, hepatobiliary-specific agents can be used to improve lesion detection, to characterize lesions as hepatocellular or nonhepatocellular, and to specifically characterize some hepatocellular lesions, notably focal nodular hyperplasia. Biliary excretion of these agents can be used to evaluate the anatomic structure and function of the biliary tree. In the future, hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents may have wider applications, such as grading of cirrhosis and quantification of liver function.

Background: Five percent to 20% of thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples are nondiagnostic. The objective of this study was to determine whether a combination of FNA and core biopsy (CFNACB) would yield a higher proportion of diagnostic readings compared with FNA alone in patients with a history of one or more prior nondiagnostic FNA readings. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 90 core biopsies (CBs) performed in 82 subjects (55 women and 27 men) between 2006 and 2008 in an outpatient clinic. Results: CFNACB yielded a diagnostic reading in 87%. The diagnostic reading yield of the CB component of CFNACB was significantly superior to the concurrent FNA component, with CB yielding a diagnosis in 77% of cases and FNA yielding a diagnosis in 47% ( p < 0.0001). The combination of CB and FNA had a higher diagnostic reading yield than either alone. In 69 nodules that had only one prior nondiagnostic FNA, CB was diagnostic in 74%, FNA was diagnostic in 52%, CFNACB was diagnostic in 87%, and CB performed significantly better than FNA ( p = 0.0135). In 21 nodules with two or more prior nondiagnostic FNAs, CFNACB and CB were diagnostic in 86%, FNA was diagnostic in 29%, and CB was significantly better than FNA ( p = 0.0005). Clinical, ultrasound, or histopathologic follow-up was available for 81% (73/90) of the CFNACB procedures. No subject with a benign CFNACB reading was diagnosed with thyroid malignancy in the follow-up period (range 4-37 months, mean 18 months), although one subject had minimal increase in nodule size and was awaiting repeat sonography at study conclusion. Conclusion: Thyroid nodule CFNACB is safe and clinically useful in selected patients when a prior FNA reading is nondiagnostic. CFNACB is superior to either CB or FNA alone. CFNACB should be strongly considered as an alternative to surgery in individuals with two prior nondiagnostic FNAs.

Collagen vascular disease (CVD), particularly scleroderma, is a contraindication to radiation therapy because of increased risk of fibrosis. We report a patient with early stage breast cancer diagnosed with scleroderma after breast-conserving surgery and radiation. She developed marked breast fibrosis, rendering mammographic, sonographic, and clinical surveillance ineffective. She has subsequently been followed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast. We illustrate this case and review the literature relating to CVD and radiation therapy. MRI may be a suitable surveillance method in this situation.

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare but serious complication of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection that has been predominantly reported to occur in diabetic patients of East Asian origin with K. pneumoniae liver abscesses. The clinical symptoms and signs of endogenous endophthalmitis are nonspecific and may mimic other causes of an acute non-traumatic eye. Permanent visual loss and blindness are common sequelae because of delayed diagnosis and treatment. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can help to differentiate endophthalmitis from other causes of acute non-traumatic eye when the clinical findings are equivocal. Fluid attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient map are superior to T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted sequences in demonstrating intra-ocular abscesses.

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign liver tumour and typically do not require any treatment. An accurate non-invasive diagnosis is therefore vital to avoid unnecessary intervention and to reassure patients. This article discusses the demographics and pathology of FNH and reviews the appearance of FNH at MRI using liver-specific contrast agents.

Hypervascular liver lesions are frequently encountered and can be characterised by using hepatobiliary contrast agents at MRI examinations. The imaging characteristics of a variety of hypervascular liver lesions are presented with an emphasis on differentiating features.

The most common extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn’s disease involve the eyes, skin, hepatobiliary tract, and the musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Mass-forming granulomatous inflammation in extraintestinal organs is extremely rare and there are only a few reports of patients with Crohn’s disease presenting with inflammatory pseudotumours of the liver, pancreas and kidneys. We present a case of a mass-forming renal granulomatous inflammation in an adult female with Crohn’s disease. The clinical, pathological and imaging features of this case illustrate that renal inflammatory pseudotumour is a rare but important differential diagnosis of a renal mass in patients with Crohn’s disease and that radiologists should be aware of its existence when considering other more common pathologies, such as focal pyelonephritis and renal tumours. Renal inflammatory pseudotumour may have relatively non-specific imaging features and a biopsy may be required to make the diagnosis.

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