CT and MR imaging characteristics of primary hepatic lymphoma.

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) is a rare primary liver tumor. The purpose of this study was to investigate the crucial imaging characteristics of PHL.

METHODS

CT/MR data and clinical features of 16 patients with pathologically proven PHL were retrospectively reviewed. The assessed imaging characteristics included lesion distribution, growth appearance, density or signal characteristics, and typical signs during the dynamic enhancement.

RESULTS

A total of sixteen patients were included in this study, ranging in age from 27 to 86 years (nine men and seven women; mean age, 62 years). Right upper abdominal pain, malaise, or first detection during physical examination were the chief complaint. Dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and MRI demonstrated focal masses in thirteen patients (13/16, 81%), and multiple nodules in three patients (3/16, 19%). The lesions showed vascular floating sign in 10 patients (10/16, 63%) and biliary pass-through sign in 6 patients (6/16, 37%). Necrosis in PHLs were observed in 10 patients (10/16, 63%) and presented target sign on T2WI in 5 out of 11 patients (5/11, 45%) undergoing MRI. After enhancement, PHLs had multinodular sign in the arterial phase in 10 patients (10/16, 63%), and presented washout of contrast medium in the portal-venous or delayed phase in 12 patients (12/16, 75%), pseudocapsule in the delayed phase in 15 patients (15/16, 94%), and double-ring sign in the delayed phase in 8 patients (8/16, 50%).

CONCLUSION

PHL is generally seen in elderly patients with elevated beta-2-microglobulin levels. Its distinctive imaging features including obviously low ADC value, biliary/vascular floating sign, multinodular sign and double-ring sign in the delayed phase, may help to diagnose and differentiate PHL.