The reverse target sign in liver disease: a potential ultrasound feature in cirrhotic liver nodules characterization

In patients with suspected liver disease, ultrasound is the most commonly performed initial imaging modality. We report a patient who had previously undiagnosed liver cirrhosis with target-shaped lesions interspersed throughout the liver parenchyma on ultrasound seen as multiple uniform round shaped lesions with varying isoechoic to hyperechoic centres surrounded by a hyperechoic rim. We have termed this the "reverse" target sign as there is inversion of the typical echoic pattern that is normally seen in metastatic liver disease. We suggest this ultrasound sign may represent a method for differentiating cirrhotic liver nodules from other nodular liver lesions.