Hepatocellular adenoma MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

 * On T1-weighted MR images, hepatocellular adenomas have been variously described as hyperintense, isointense, and hypointense lesions.


 * It has been reported that 47%–74% of hepatocellular adenomas are predominantly hyperintense relative to liver on T2-weighted images; this is due to prolonged T2 and is consistent with findings in other hepatic tumors.


 * Some lesions are hypointense and isointense on T2-weighted images.


 * Most lesions are heterogeneous, demonstrating a combination of hyper- and hypointensity on T2-weighted images relative to hemorrhage and necrosis.


 * Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced gradient-echo MR imaging, like dynamic CT, can be used to demonstrate early arterial enhancement that reflects the presence of subcapsular feeding vessels.


 * Adenomas usually do not show uptake of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles, resulting in decreased signal intensity on T2-weighted images.


 * After injection of a hepatocellular-specific contrast agent such as gadolinium benzyloxypropionictetraacetate (Gd-BOPTA) there is usually no substantial uptake.