Computed tomography and sonography of cavernous hemangioma of the liver

Accuracy and limitations of computed tomography (CT) and sonography in the detection and diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma of the liver were analyzed in 39 cases. In 35 of 38 lesions examined by CT before and after bolus contrast enhancement, findings were dense contrast enhancement spreading in all directions on subsequent scans and/or density (other than capsule or septa) higher than normal hepatic parenchyma after 2 min. Lesions smaller than 1 cm were not detected. Misregistration in sequential scans prevented diagnosis of three of nine lesions smaller than 2 cm. Sonography revealed various patterns of mass, but in the smaller lesions, an extremely hyperechoic pattern was dominant. The contributions of CT and sonography depend on the size of the lesions.