title: Iron deposition surrounding the hepatic veins of cirrhotic patients on MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide the first description of a pattern of iron deposition surrounding the hepatic veins in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and postulate the reason for these findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two institutions' teaching files were searched for abdominal MRI studies between January 2003 and April 2009 which showed iron deposition within the liver surrounding the hepatic veins. MRI exams were reviewed by two radiologists for iron deposition and signs of portal hypertension. Liver explant pathology reports were also reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients with alcoholic cirrhosis demonstrated perihepatic vein low signal intensity on T1 gradient echo images correlating with iron overload confirmed at histopathologic evaluation of explanted livers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first described uncommon distribution of iron deposition surrounding the hepatic veins. This pattern is well seen on in-phase T1 gradient echo sequences because of the T2* effects in this sequence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Jhorowitz77@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jeanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Horowitz
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nikolaidis
authors.forename: Zong-Ming E
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siegelman
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Frank H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000473:pathology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011871:Radiology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007501:Iron