Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
08:35
A Model of Experimental Steatosis In Vitro: Hepatocyte Cell Culture in Lipid Overload-Conditioned Medium
Published on: May 18, 2021
6.6K
Hepatic steatosis with mass effect: A case report.
Na Hu1, Shi-Jun Su2, Jin-Ye Li1
1Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250023, Shandong Province, China.
World Journal of Clinical Cases
|November 7, 2022
Summary
Hepatic steatosis, typically without mass effect, can present as a large, exogenously growing mass. Advanced imaging techniques like T1-weighted in- and out-of-phase scans are crucial for differentiating it from fat-rich tumors.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Hepatology
- Pathology
Background:
- Hepatic steatosis is a common finding in medical imaging.
- Typically, hepatic steatosis does not present with a mass effect.
- There are no prior reports of hepatic steatosis causing a significant mass effect.
Observation:
- A 23-year-old female presented with a liver mass causing a significant mass effect, involving the caudate and left liver lobes.
- Imaging revealed a large mass with reduced signal on T2- and T1-weighted fat-saturated images and inhomogeneous enhancement.
- Pathological findings confirmed hepatic steatosis, with the lesion supplied by a hepatic artery branch.
Findings:
- The lesion exhibited exogenous growth and a mass-like appearance with a notable mass effect, a presentation not previously documented.
- T1-weighted in- and out-of-phase imaging showed decreased signal intensity on out-of-phase images.
- Dynamic contrast enhancement patterns resembled adjacent normal liver parenchyma, aiding in diagnosis.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates that hepatic steatosis can manifest with exogenous growth and a significant mass effect.
- Distinguishing this presentation from fat-rich tumors is critical.
- T1-weighted in- and out-of-phase imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced scans are valuable tools for differential diagnosis.
