Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Color Doppler of Focal Hepatic Lesions in Patients with Cirrhosis

Abstract

Fifty (50) cirrhotic patients, who recently developed focallesion(s), were examined by color Doppler sonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRl). Twenty-five (25) of them had computed tomography examination (CT). Complementary histopathological and laboratory data were also obtained.

Among the fifty (50) patients examined, thirty-three (33) had malignant nodule(s), and seventeen (17) had benign nodule(s).

US AND COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY

The major fmdings suggestive of malignancy on sonography were the heterogeneous texture, presence of capsule, vascular invasion, while Color Doppler Sonography, gave further pathognomonic signs which are:

• The presence of perifocal arterial afferent flow.

• The presence of internal arterial afferent flow.

• The turbulence and high peak systole (>50cm/s)

• The presence of arterio portal shunt.

It is the combination of more than one sign that favor that diagnosis rather than only sign.