title: Splenic hemangiomas: contrast-enhanced sonographic findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to illustrate the baseline appearance and enhancement patterns of splenic hemangiomas on contrast-enhanced sonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two experienced radiologists retrospectively reviewed by consensus baseline and contrast-enhanced sonographic examinations of 27 patients (14 women and 13 men; mean age, 58.7 years) with 27 splenic hemangiomas (mean size, 2 cm) confirmed by splenectomy, biopsy, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging and follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On baseline sonography, 77.8% of the lesions showed a homogeneous echo texture that was mainly hyperechoic. Color Doppler imaging did not show any signal in 81.5% of the cases. After contrast agent injection, 59.2% of the splenic hemangiomas showed different degrees of contrast enhancement in the arterial phase followed by isoenhancement in the late parenchymal phase. Among these, 2 hemangiomas showed peripheral globular enhancement in the arterial phase, followed by progressive centripetal fill-in. In 29.6% of the cases, some degree of contrast enhancement was appreciable, but the hemangiomas remained substantially hypoechoic throughout the contrast-enhanced sonographic examinations, whereas in 11.1%, the combination of contrast enhancement in the arterial phase followed by wash-out in the late parenchymal phase was evident.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isoechogenicity to spleen parenchyma in all phases is the most frequent typical enhancement pattern of splenic hemangiomas observed on contrast-enhanced sonography. Nevertheless, these lesions may show atypical contrast enhancement patterns; therefore, further assessment with cross-sectional techniques is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Via Monti Iblei 43, 90144 Palermo, Italy. taibbiadele@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taibbi
authors.forename: Tommaso Vincenzo
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Bartolotta
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matranga
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midiri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lagalla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride