[Image evaluation of liver metastases]

In imaging diagnosis of metastatic liver neoplasms, particularly in preoperative evaluation, it is necessary to detect all lesions, note involved hepatic segments, determine relations with intrahepatic vascular structure, evaluate local invasiveness of lesions, and exclude the presence of extrahepatic metastases. Various imaging features can be demonstrated with appropriate imaging techniques and provide useful information for differential diagnosis or determination of the primary site. Multip lemodalities such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography including CT during arterial portography and CT during hepatic arteriography are used for the diagnosis of metastatic liver neoplasms, and it is important to know the characteristics of each. Among the advances in imaging technology, the practical use of super-paramagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MRI (SPIO-enhanced MRI) has had a major impact. SPIO-enhanced MRI is a promising imaging modality for the detection of metastatic liver neoplasms because of its relatively high sensitivity and extremely high specificity. Accumulation of additional results is still necessary, but the imaging strategy for metastatic liver neoplasms will likely be based mainly on SPIO-enhanced MRI in the future.