Spontaneous massive hemorrhage within a malignant tumor of the liver: diagnostic features in sonography and CT

Computed tomography (CT) and sonography performed on four patients with histopathologically proven massive intratumoral hemorrhages in the liver were compared with pathological findings. Unenhanced CT showed a round low-density mass, and enhanced CT produced slight enhancements in the peripheral portions of the masses in two patients which corresponded to histopathologically viable cancerous portions. In contrast, sonography showed multilocular cystic masses with variously shaped septa, assuming a honeycomb appearance. Histopathologically, the septa were made up of blood clots with or without granulation tissue, scar and viable tumor, and the cystic spaces were filled with exudate and erythrocytes. Combined study by CT and sonography could be useful in differentiating massive hemorrhagic malignancies from cystic and necrotic masses and/or simple hemorrhagic lesions. The danger of malignant tumors with massive hemorrhage possibly being diagnosed as benign lesions, such as hematomas and abscesses, is also stressed.