[MRI in the differential diagnosis of liver focal lesions]

51 patients with focal liver abnormalities at ultrasound were examined by MRI. The cases with liver metastasis of known origin submitted for staging and cholangiocarcinomas of the external bile ducts or gall bladder with liver invasion were not included in the study. Most of the examinations were performed for suspected hepatocarcinoma. MRI studies, using 2D T1 and T2 weighted FSE sequences and T1 weighted 3D SPGRE contrast enhanced sequences were able to differentiate between different kinds of benign lesions e.g. large hemangiomas or FNH or even complicated hydatic cysts from hepatocarcinoma.