title: Heterogeneous delayed enhancement of the liver after ultrasound contrast agent injection--a normal variant.
abstract: We report a characteristic heterogeneous delayed liver enhancement pattern that we have encountered in a total of 6 of approximately 1500 subjects who underwent contrast-enhanced liver ultrasonography. The heterogeneous enhancement occurred several min after contrast injection and persisted for up to 1 h. It was seen in diseased as well as healthy livers and appears to represent a "normal variant" of liver enhancement. It was observed with two different contrast agents. The cause of the described effect is unknown; it may be related to the formation of large bubbles and vascular entrapment of these bubbles in the liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blomley
authors.forename: Rolf A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heckemann
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Cosgrove
authors.forename: Karl-Jürgen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D010420:Pentanes
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D010743:Phospholipids; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; C420843:contrast agent BR1; C008806:perfluoropentane; D010420:Pentanes