Hypointense Findings on Hepatobiliary Phase MR Images

Hepatobiliary (HB) contrast agents are increasingly valuable diagnostic tools in MRI, offering a wider range of applications as their clinical use expands. Normal hepatocytes take up HB contrast agents, which are subsequently excreted in bile. This property creates a distinct HB phase providing valuable insights into liver function and biliary anatomy. HB contrast agents can assist in diagnosing a broad spectrum of HB diseases ranging from diffuse liver disease to focal hepatic lesions and can delineate anatomic details of the biliary tree. Understanding the pharmacodynamics of HB contrast agents is paramount to their appropriate clinical application and troubleshooting. HB phase hypointensity can arise from various diffuse and focal abnormalities that may or may not be associated with biliary excretion. Hypointensity during the HB phase can be broadly grouped into diffuse hypointensity, regional hypointensity, and focal lesions for better evaluation of the underlying cause. Abnormalities may arise from hepatic parenchymal, biliary, or vascular causes, or a combination thereof in each of the broad groups. Recognition of a suboptimal hypointense HB phase is important in the evaluation of focal lesions in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and particularly in those with hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, hypointensity can also suggest the aggressiveness of malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma or colorectal metastases, which may affect the prognosis. It is essential to consider all imaging findings relative to the clinical context and the complete set of the MRI sequences performed for diagnosis of liver abnormalities. This comprehensive approach minimizes the risk of misinterpretation or pitfalls. The authors aim to equip radiologists with key insights for accurately understanding hypointensity in the HB phase, ultimately leading to more accurate diagnoses. ^©RSNA, 2025 Supplemental material is available for this article.