What is a distinguishing imaging feature of hepatic hemangioma?

Prepare for Liver Disease and Tumors Test with tailored flashcards and questions. Get detailed explanations and improve your knowledge. Ace the medical student exam!

Multiple Choice

What is a distinguishing imaging feature of hepatic hemangioma?

The key imaging feature of hepatic hemangioma is peripheral nodular enhancement in the arterial phase with progressive centripetal (toward the center) fill-in on subsequent phases. This pattern mirrors the lesion’s cavernous vascular spaces that fill with contrast from the periphery inward, so the lesion gradually becomes more uniform with time on CT or MRI. This is what sets hemangiomas apart from other liver lesions. Arterial-phase hyperenhancement with washout is typical of malignant tumors like hepatocellular carcinoma, not benign hemangiomas. Diffuse hyperintensity on T1 is not characteristic for hemangioma (it’s usually iso- to hypointense on T1 and markedly hyperintense on T2). No enhancement at all would also be incorrect, since hemangiomas do enhance in the arterial phase with subsequent fill-in.

The key imaging feature of hepatic hemangioma is peripheral nodular enhancement in the arterial phase with progressive centripetal (toward the center) fill-in on subsequent phases. This pattern mirrors the lesion’s cavernous vascular spaces that fill with contrast from the periphery inward, so the lesion gradually becomes more uniform with time on CT or MRI.

This is what sets hemangiomas apart from other liver lesions. Arterial-phase hyperenhancement with washout is typical of malignant tumors like hepatocellular carcinoma, not benign hemangiomas. Diffuse hyperintensity on T1 is not characteristic for hemangioma (it’s usually iso- to hypointense on T1 and markedly hyperintense on T2). No enhancement at all would also be incorrect, since hemangiomas do enhance in the arterial phase with subsequent fill-in.

More practice questions