Multidetector CT (MDCT) Findings Of Primary Hepatic Lymphoma

The aim of this study was to describe the triphasic multidetector CT (MDCT) finding of primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL).

This retrospective study included eighteen patients. Each patient presented with primary hepatobiliary lymphoma without associated lymphadenopathy or other visceral involvement. Triphasic CT scanning was performed on one of two systems (64 MD CT) in 12 patients and (6 MDCT) in 6 patients. All eighteen patients underwent ultrasound percutaneous trucut liver biopsy using 18-gauge biopsy needle. Pathology was confirmed on all cases.

Four of eighteen patients presented with a single focal lesion. Thirteen of eighteen patients presented with multiple well defined focal lesions. One patient presented with a diffuse hepatic involvement. On triphasic CT, three patients showed gradual progressive contrast enhancement. Lesions remained isodense to the liver on the arterial phase with mild enhancement in the portal phase and showed washout on the delayed phase in two patients. The remaining thirteen patients showed multiple hypodense non-enhancing lesions.

PHL presents a wide spectrum of imaging findings on triphasic MDCT with no characteristic imaging pattern. MDCT can be used for detection of the lesion and biopsy is used for diagnosis. PHL should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a liver focal lesion either single or multiple.