title: Dysplastic nodules of the liver: imaging findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To verify characteristic features of hepatic dysplastic nodules at different imaging modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with 37 dysplastic nodules of the liver (0.8-3.0 cm) underwent sonography (28 patients), computed tomography (CT; 24 patients), magnetic resonance (MR; 11 patients), and angiography (12 patients). Each nodule was analyzed for echogenicity, attenuation, signal intensity, and vascularity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Echogenicity of nodules was high in 16 (43%), homogeneous in two (6%), and low in 19 (51%) of 37 nodules. Attenuation of nodules was high in one (7%), homogeneous in four (26%), and low in 10 (67%) of 15 nodules on the arterial-phase CT images; homogeneous in five (33%) and low in 10 (67%) of 15 nodules on the portal-phase CT images; and high in four (17%), homogeneous in six (26%), and low in 13 (57%) of 23 nodules on the delayed-phase CT images. Signal intensity of nodules was high in 15 (94%) and homogeneous in one (6%) of 16 nodules on T1-weighted MR images and was homogeneous in seven (44%) and low in nine (56%) of 16 nodules on T2-weighted MR images. Vascularity of nodules was avascular in 14 (88%) and slightly vascular in two (12%) of 16 nodules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic dysplastic nodules show diverse imaging characteristics with different imaging techniques; however, common imaging findings of hepatic dysplastic nodules are low echo, low attenuation, and high, low, or homogeneous intensity on T1- and T2-weighted MR, and avascularity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, 28, Yongon-Dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography