Extrahepatic metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma: A spectrum of imaging findings.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary tumour of the liver, responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the Western world, it primarily affects patients with cirrhosis, secondary to hepatitis C virus and alcoholism. In the rest of the world, HCC is closely associated with hepatitis B virus infections. Radiologists play a key role in accurately staging HCC, which has important implications for treatment planning. This pictorial review aims to describe the routes of HCC spread and the most frequent sites of metastases, to recognize extrahepatic HCC findings on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and to understand the implications of HCC staging on treatment planning.
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: becker.annalisa@gmail.com.
Annalisa K
AK
Becker
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.
David K
DK
Tso
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.
Alison C
AC
Harris
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.
David
D
Malfair
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.
Silvia D
SD
Chang
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary
Extrahepatic metastasis; Hepatocellular carcinoma