No abstract

MR elastography may help clinicians assess patients with chronic liver diseases. Usefulness of 3.0-T MR elastography has rarely been reported. Measured liver stiffness correlated well with the histological grades of liver fibrosis. Measured liver stiffness was also affected by necroinflammation, but to a lesser degree. 3.0-T MRE could be a non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy.

With the optimized parameters, repeatability of ±10 % in liver stiffness measurement was obtained.

Stiffness measurement of the liver on MRE performed with the fusion method at 3.0 T provides the highest inter- and intraobserver consistency.

RFA therefore could be an effective alternative to partial mastectomy for early breast cancer. Further research will be necessary to establish the standardization of the indications, as well as the optimal techniques and post treatment evaluation modalities.

The prevalence and appearance of pseudolesions differ at different intervals from TACE. Radiologists need to recognize the clinicoradiologic characteristics to differentiate pseudolesions from true residual or recurrent HCC.

The purpose of this report was to describe pseudolesions of the liver that mimicked residual hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as observed on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) obtained shortly after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Between June 2008 and December 2008, three patients underwent MRI within 12 days after TACE to rule out remaining viable cancerous tissue or to assess the treatment effect. In all three patients, nontumorous liver tissue adjacent to the treated HCC exhibited focal arterial enhancement on dynamic phase and subsequent diminished uptake of gadoxetate disodium on hepatocellular phase images, which mimicked residual HCC. All three patients had mild postembolization syndrome at the time of EOB-MRI and showed no evidence of residual or recurrent tumors on follow-up. The findings of these areas may represent transient focal hyperemia and damage to the liver cell function caused by TACE. Radiologists should be aware that EOB-MRI obtained shortly after TACE may show pseudolesions around the treated tumors and should not mistake them for residual or recurrent tumors.

A 60-year-old woman who had had a history of renal cell carcinoma with intraperitoneal recurrence presented with multiple liver masses. Computed tomography demonstrated multiple enhancing lesions in the both lobes of the liver, and there was an apparent small vessel coursing within one of the lesions. On magnetic resonance imaging, masses showed slight T1 and T2 prolongation, and restricted diffusion: On the hepatobiliary phase of liver-specific contrast agent enhancement, lesions were shown as low signal intensity of varying degree. Liver metastases from renal cell carcinoma were suspected, and partial hepatectomy was performed for the superficially located nodules to make a definitive diagnosis. The final pathological diagnosis was reactive lymphoid hyperplasia or pseudolymphoma of the liver.