MRI of hepatic schistosomiasis mansoni

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in a patient with hepatic schistosomiasis mansoni. On T1-weighted images periportal zones appeared isointense to the surrounding liver, but strongly enhanced after injection of Gd-DTPA. This finding equals periportal enhancement in postcontrast CT studies and does not discriminate between periportal inflammation in early stages of the disease and portal venous and hepatic artery collaterals in late stages of periportal fibrosis. However, on T2-weighted images periportal zones appeared as high signal bands throughout the liver suggesting periportal inflammatory changes with edema. Thus T2-weighted spin echo sequences should be performed and may be helpful to assess activity of periportal inflammation.