BACKGROUND Correct characterization of focal solid hepatic lesions has always been a challenge and is of great diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. The purpose of this study was to determine the added value of hepatobiliary phase images in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiating focal solid hepatic lesions. METHODS In this retrospective trial 84 consecutive ...

AIM To assess the role of some circulating miRNAs (miR-23a, miR-203, miR338, miR-34, and miR-16) as tumor markers for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS One hundred and seventy-one subjects were enrolled, 57 patients with HCC, 57 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 57 healthy subjects as control group. Severity of liver disease was assessed by Child Pugh score. Tumor stag...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the concordance between intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) and abdominal ultrasound (US) for the characterization of focal liver lesions in patients with colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the way in which IOUS influences the initially established hepatic surgical protocol based on abdominal US only. METHOD In this prospective study 73 patients with colorectal cancer and f...

Hepatocellular adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) are benign liver tumours. The differential diagnosis of these lesions and of well- to moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas is often difficult but is very important in view of their different treatment. Although neither type of lesion is connected to the biliary tree, FNHs are cholestatic, whereas this is rarely the case f...

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to evaluate long-term survival and prognostic factors for radio-frequency ablation (RFA) in colorectal liver metastases. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 35 colorectal liver metastases patients who underwent RFA between 2004 and 2008. We analyzed survival after RFA and prognostic factors for survival. RESULTS Of the 35 patients, 23 patients were male and ...

AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors and has limited treatment options. Needle-guided biopsies have been utilized as a tool to diagnose malignant focal hepatic lesions. These techniques are discouraged because of their complications. Nowadays, alpha fetoprotein is the most widely used tumor marker for screening and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. N...

PURPOSE To compare the capabilities of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and normalized ADC using the pancreatic parenchyma as reference organ in the characterization of focal pancreatic lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-six patients with focal pancreatic lesions (malignant, n=18; benign tumors, n=10; focal pancreatitis, n=8) underwent diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) at 1.5-Tesla us...

Primary hepatic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is an extremely rare disease. We herein describe the findings in a 74-year-old man with elevated liver enzyme levels. Dynamic computed tomography showed focal biliary dilation and atrophy in the posterior segment, while dynamic magnetic resonance images revealed a small, highly enhanced small mass located at the root of posterior...

PURPOSE Although rare, non-traumatic hepatic haemorrhage is a known complication of liver tumors. In cases where the haemorrhage is the first clinical event, diagnostic work-up is critical. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study was conducted between July 2001 and March 2011. Acute phase CT-scan and MRI imaging in patients diagnosed with non-traumatic liver hematomas were interpreted w...

INTRODUCTION The case of an atypical hepatic angiocavernoma is referred. The lesion, first described as a hypoechogenic area compared to the surrounding parenchyma, with anechogenic shoots inside, suggestive for vascular structures developed one year later into a totally asonic area with frayed margins. This change is very unusual and uncommon for this kind of lesions. CASE PRESENTATION The c...