Clinical perspective: the importance of imaging in diffuse liver disease and hepatic vascular disorders

The diagnosis of hepatobiliary disorders is based on the patient's history and physical examination and is augmented by laboratory findings, imaging studies, and histology. Radiographic imaging is especially helpful for identifying structural lesions and vascular abnormalities. In cholestatic disease, imaging of the biliary tree is essential to identify extrahepatic biliary obstruction. In hepatocellular diseases, imaging studies narrow the differential diagnosis and guide further testing. In this clinical overview, the role of radiographic imaging in hepatobiliary disorders is reviewed.