title: Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver: MR findings in 35 proved cases.
abstract: MR images of 28 patients with 35 lesions of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia were reviewed to determine the frequency of findings considered typical of this condition (isointensity on T1- and T2-weighted pulse sequences, a central hyperintense scar on T2-weighted images, and homogeneous signal intensity). Fifteen lesions were imaged at 0.6 T with T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) pulse sequences; 20 lesions were imaged at 1.5 T with T1-weighted SE and gradient-echo pulse sequences and T2-weighted SE pulse sequences. Diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia was made pathologically in 25 patients, with nuclear scintigraphy in four, and with follow-up imaging in six. Only seven lesions (20%) were isointense relative to normal liver on both T1- and T2-weighted images. On T1-weighted SE images, 21 lesions (60%) were isointense relative to normal liver, 12 (34%) were hypointense, and two (6%) were hyperintense. On T2-weighted SE images, 12 lesions (34%) were isointense and 23 (66%) were hyperintense relative to normal liver. A central scar was present in 17 lesions (49%) and was hypointense relative to the lesion on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. Twenty lesions (57%) were of homogeneous signal intensity throughout the lesion, except for the presence of a central scar. All three MR imaging characteristics were present in three cases (9%). We conclude that hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia has a wide range of signal intensity on MR imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taupitz
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seneterre
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies