Hepatic 'pseudotumours': an important diagnostic pitfall

Hepatic 'pseudotumours' are radiological abnormalities which give the appearance of tumour. They may be focal areas of disease such as fatty infiltration or areas of focal sparing in diffuse processes. We present four cases of hepatic 'pseudotumours' due to diffuse fatty infiltration with focal sparing and emphasise the need for further radiological assessment of focal lesions found on ultrasound scanning. Measurement of CT attenuation allows a confident diagnosis of fatty infiltration with focal sparing, thus preventing unnecessary investigation. Other forms of hepatic pseudotumour may require further investigation.