Focal Liver Lesions other than Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhosis: Diagnostic Challenges

Kathleen Möller; Ehsan Safai Zadeh; Christian Görg; Yi Dong; Xinwu Cui; Adrian Lim; Chiara de Molo; Carla Serra; Ana Martín Algíbez; Analisa Berzigotti; Fabio Piscaglia; Siegbert Faiss; Christoph F Dietrich

doi:10.2478/jtim-2022-0068

Focal Liver Lesions other than Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhosis: Diagnostic Challenges

J Transl Int Med. 2023 Jan 13;10(4):308-327. doi: 10.2478/jtim-2022-0068. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ SANA Hospital Lichtenberg, Medical Department I/Gastroenterology, Berlin 10365, Germany.
² Interdisciplinary Center of Ultrasound Diagnostics, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg 35033, Germany.
³ Department of Ultrasound, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
⁴ Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China.
⁵ Imperial College London and Healthcare NHS Trust, London NW1 5QH, UK.
⁶ Interventional, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Ultrasound Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Sant' Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Bologna 40138, Italy.
⁷ University Clinic for Visceral Surgery and Medicine, INSELSPITAL, University Hospital of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland.
⁸ Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
⁹ Department of Internal Medicine (DAIM), Hirslanden Private Hospital Beau Site, Salem and Permanence, Bern CH-3013, Switzerland.

Abstract

Liver cirrhosis is associated with regenerative nodules and an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, other benign and malignant liver lesions may also occur. Differentiating the other lesions from HCC is important for further therapeutic decisions. This review discusses the characteristics of non-HCC liver lesions in cirrhosis and their consequent appearance on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with consideration of other imaging. Knowledge of this data would be helpful in avoiding misdiagnoses.

Keywords: cirrhosis; contrast-enhanced ultrasonography; focal liver lesions; hepatocellular carcinoma.

© 2022 Kathleen Möller, Ehsan Safai Zadeh, Christian Görg, Yi Dong, Xinwu Cui, Adrian Lim, Chiara de Molo, Carla Serra, Ana Martín Algíbez, Analisa Berzigotti, Fabio Piscaglia, Siegbert Faiss, Christoph F. Dietrich, published by Sciendo.