Segmental iron deposition in the liver due to decreased intrahepatic portal perfusion: findings at MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the causes of intrahepatic segmental areas of signal hypointensity [corrected] on T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) and gradient-echo (GRE) magnetic resonance (MR) images.


METHODS
Six patients in whom wedge-shaped hypointense areas were seen on hepatic MR images underwent examination with ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), angiography, and CT during arterial portography (CTAP). Histologic examination was performed in three patients.


RESULTS
The affected liver parenchymas were best depicted as segmental or lobar hypointense areas on GRE images. Angiography and CTAP revealed that portal blood supply to the hypointense areas was absent or decreased due to portal vein tumor thrombus and arterioportal shunt (n = 1), compression of a portal branch by tumor (n = 2), portal vein thrombosis (n = 1), or arterioportal shunt (n = 2). Iron deposition in the hepatocytes was evident in all three patients with histologic correlation.


CONCLUSIONS
Segmental signal hypocoagulability was generally due to hepatocyte iron deposition and was accompanied and possibly caused by a disturbance in portal flow.
Department of Radiology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Japan.
M
M
Kadoya
O
O
Matsui
K
K
Kitagawa
Y
Y
Kawamori
J
J
Yoshikawa
T
T
Gabata
S
S
Miyayama
T
T
Takashima
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000150:complications; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011168:Portal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011169:Portal Vein; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications