Influence of liver cirrhosis on pseudolesions in liver at CT during arterial portography.

PURPOSE

Pseudolesions are sometimes seen around the falciform ligament, around the gallbladder, or at the posterior edge of the medical segment on CT during arterial portography. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of liver cirrhosis on these pseudolesions.

METHOD

The basis of this study was 33 patients with liver cirrhosis or hepatitis (group A) and 43 with neither (group B). The standard for diagnosis was surgical findings. We investigated whether there was a difference in the frequency of each pseudolesion between groups A and B. When tumors were seen in each location, they were excluded from statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Pseudolesion around the falciform ligament was seen in none of 32 patients in group A and in 18 of 40 in group B (4 cases were excluded), around the gallbladder in 14 of 30 in group A and 16 of 42 in group B (4 cases were excluded), and at the posterior edge of the medial segment in 13 of 33 in group A and 16 of 42 in group B (1 case was excluded). There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of pseudolesion around the falciform ligament (p < 0.001, Fisher test), but not around the gallbladder or posterior edge of the medial segment.

CONCLUSION

Liver cirrhosis decreases the frequency of pseudolesions around the falciform ligament, but not around the gallbladder or posterior edge of the medial segment.