Gallbladder disease: appearance of associated transient increased attenuation in the liver at biphasic, contrast-enhanced dynamic CT.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency, location, and appearance of transient increased attenuation in the liver during arterial-phase helical or incremental computed tomography (CT) in patients with gallbladder disease without hepatic extension.


METHODS
Findings in dynamic CT examinations in 31 patients with surgically proved gallbladder disease not extending into the liver and in 31 control patients without gallbladder disease were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with findings in other imaging examinations.


RESULTS
Areas of transient increased hepatic attenuation (n = 27) were identified in 22 of 31 patients with gallbladder disease and in only one of 31 control patients. The difference in these findings was statistically significant (P < .001). In the 27 areas of transient increased hepatic attenuation, these findings were categorized as curvilinear or nodular attenuation adjacent to the gallbladder fossa in 13 (48%), segmental or subsegmental attenuation in segment IV and/or V in seven (26%), lobar attenuation in the left lobe (segments II-IV) in four (15%), and nodular attenuation seen as an early enhancing "pseudolesion" in segment IV in three (11%). Hepatic angiography performed in 10 of the 22 patients showed early depiction of the dilated cystic vein (n = 8) and direct communication with the portal branches (n = 2).


CONCLUSIONS
Transient increased attenuation in the liver had a variable appearance at dynamic arterial-phase CT in most patients with gallbladder disease. This attenuation was most likely due to increased blood flow from the hepatobiliary system.
Ito
K
K
Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
Awaya
H
H
Mitchell
D G
DG
Honjo
K
K
Fujita
T
T
Uchisako
H
H
Moritani
K
K
Nomura
S
S
Higuchi
M
M
Kada
T
T
Matsumoto
T
T
Matsunaga
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed