Primary liver neoplasms: MR imaging with pathologic correlation

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a powerful tool in the evaluation of primary liver neoplasms. Determination of tumor extent and tissue characterization is provided with standard spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted imaging and is enhanced by the application of advanced sequences such as gradient-echo, fast spin-echo, and fat suppression techniques. Intravenously administered contrast agents, such as gadopentetate dimeglumine and superparamagnetic iron oxide, provide additional opportunities for lesion characterization. Knowledge of the underlying gross and microscopic pathologic features of primary hepatic neoplasms leads to a better understanding of their often complicated MR imaging appearances. The authors correlate the key pathologic features with the most significant MR imaging findings of primary benign and malignant liver neoplasms, including hemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatocellular adenoma, infantile hemangioendothelioma, mesenchymal hamartoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, biliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, angiosarcoma, hepatoblastoma, and undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma.