Ultrasound and computed tomography of small asymptomatic haemangiomas of the liver

Gray-scale ultrasound examinations were performed in 13 patients with 18 small asymptomatic haemangiomas of the liver and computed tomography in 10 of these patients. Different types of ultrasound images were found. One of them appeared as a well-demarcated area of increased echoes with an echo-free halo consisting of vessels, is probably characteristic for haemangioma. The other types of images are considered non-specific. The native CT scans demonstrated a well-demarcated spherical area with low attenuation in 8 cases and an area with attenuation similar to the liver in 4. After contrast medium injection, areas with lower attenuation were found in 7 cases, with irregular accumulation of contrast medium in the periphery in 4, and with distinct vessels in the periphery in one case, 2 haemangiomas had the same attenuation as the liver parenchyma.