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Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR findings in infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma
K J Mortele1, P J Mergo, M Urrutia
1Department of Radiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610, USA.
Insights
This case study highlights a rare instance of infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma in a young child. Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI revealed a characteristic pattern, aiding in diagnosis despite the unusual age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Hepatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma (IHE) is a rare benign liver tumor in infants.
- Diagnosis can be challenging, especially in atypical presentations.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a key diagnostic tool for liver lesions.
Observation:
- A 2 1/2-year-old girl presented with abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, and hepatomegaly.
- This age is unusual for a typical infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma diagnosis.
- Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI was performed to investigate the hepatomegaly.
Findings:
- The dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI demonstrated a characteristic enhancement pattern.
- This specific pattern was highly indicative of infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma.
- These MR findings have not been previously illustrated in this context.
Implications:
- Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI can be crucial for diagnosing infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma, even in unusual age groups.
- The characteristic enhancement pattern on MRI aids in differentiating IHE from other liver masses.
- This case underscores the importance of advanced imaging techniques in pediatric hepatology.
Abstract:
We report a case of a 2 1/2-year-old girl presenting with abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, and hepatomegaly. In spite of the unusual age at presentation, dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR findings, which have not been previously illustrated, proved to be highly specific for the diagnosis of infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma because of the characteristic enhancement pattern.