Fluid-fluid levels within focal hepatic lesions: imaging appearance and etiology.
OBJECTIVE
To report our experience with fluid-fluid levels within focal hepatic lesions and determine if this finding indicates a specific diagnosis.


METHODS
We reviewed our experience with eight patients with focal hepatic lesions that showed fluid-fluid level on cross-sectional imaging. Seven CT scans, four MR examinations, and four sonograms were reviewed. The hepatic lesions included metastases (four patients), biliary cystadenoma (two patients), cavernous hemangioma (one patient), and hematoma (one patient). A histologic diagnosis was made in all cases.


RESULTS
Fluid-fluid levels were found in both malignant and benign focal hepatic lesions. Fluid-fluid levels were seen on six CT scans, four MR examinations and on none of the four sonograms. Radiologic-pathologic correlation showed that fluid-fluid levels corresponded to internal hemorrhage in all but one case. In the case of cavernous hemangioma, a fluid-fluid level was found to correspond to a sedimentation effect within a large vascular space.


CONCLUSIONS
Fluid-fluid levels in focal hepatic lesions do not indicate a specific diagnosis but can be seen in both malignant and benign conditions affecting the liver.
Soyer
P
P
Department of Body and Vascular Imaging, Hôpital Lariboisière AP-HP, Paris, France.
Bluemke
D A
DA
Fishman
E K
EK
Rymer
R
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed