Role of gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma after locoregional treatment.

Locoregional treatments, as alternatives to surgery, play a key role in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables a multiparametric assessment, going beyond the traditional dynamic computed tomography approach. Moreover, the use of hepatobiliary agents can improve diagnostic accuracy and are becoming important in the diagnosis and follow-up of HCC. However, the main challenge is to quickly identify classical responses to loco-regional treatments in order to determine the most suitable management strategy for each patient. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the most common and uncommon liver MRI findings in patients who underwent loco-regional treatments for HCC, with a special focus on ablative therapies (radiofrequency, microwaves and cryoablation), trans-arterial chemoembolization, trans-arterial radio-embolization and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy techniques, considering the usefulness of gadoxetate disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA) contrast agent.

Benign focal liver lesions: The role of magnetic resonance imaging.

Liver lesions are common findings in radiologists' daily routine. They are a complex category of pathology that range from solitary benign lesions to primary liver cancer and liver metastases. Benign focal liver lesions can arise from different liver cell types: Epithelial (hepatocytes and biliary cells) and nonepithelial (mesenchymal cells). Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a fundamental radiological method in these patients as it allows with its multiparametric approach optimal non-invasive tissue characterization. Furthermore, advanced liver MRI techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging and hepatobiliary contrast agents have improved the detection of focal liver lesions and can be highly effective in differentiating pseudotumor from tumors, as well as benign from malignant lesions, and can also be used for differential diagnosis. Although histological examination can be useful in making a definitive diagnosis, MRI is an important modality in the diagnosis of liver lesions with a significant impact on patient care. This aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of benign liver lesions on MRI.

Gadoxetic acid magnetic-enhanced resonance imaging in the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

The use of liver magnetic resonance imaging is increasing thanks to its multiparametric sequences that allow a better tissue characterization, and the use of hepatobiliary contrast agents. This review aims to evaluate gadoxetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and staging of cholangiocarcinoma and its different clinical and radiological classifications proposed in the literature. We also analyze the epidemiology, risk factors in correlation with clinical findings and laboratory data.

MR with Gd-EOB-DTPA in assessment of liver nodules in cirrhotic patients.

To date the imaging diagnosis of liver lesions is based mainly on the identification of vascular features, which are typical of overt hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the hepatocarcinogenesis is a complex and multistep event during which, a spectrum of nodules develop within the liver parenchyma, including benign small and large regenerative nodule (RN), low-grade dysplastic nodule (LGDN), high-grade dysplastic nodule (HGDN), early HCC, and well differentiated HCC. These nodules may be characterised not only on the basis of their respective different blood supplies, but also on their different hepatocyte function. Recently, in liver imaging the introduction of hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent offered the clinicians the possibility to obtain, at once, information not only related to the vascular changes of liver nodules but also information on hepatocyte function. For this reasons this new approach becomes the most relevant diagnostic clue for differentiating low-risk nodules (LGDN-RN) from high-risk nodules (HGDN/early HCC or overt HCC) and consequently new diagnostic algorithms for HCC have been proposed. The use of hepatobiliary contrast agents is constantly increasing and gradually changing the standard of diagnosis of HCC. The main purpose of this review is to underline the added value of Gd-EOB-DTPA in early-stage diagnoses of HCC. We also analyse the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of HCC, the key concepts of HCC development, growth and spread and the imaging appearance of precursor nodules that eventually may transform into overt HCC.

Left-Sided Upper Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return through a Curved Vein Joining the Left Brachiocephalic Vein.

The evaluation of pulmonary veins during cross-sectional imaging of the chest and the knowledge of their embryology and anatomy are useful for detecting congenital conditions that may be clinically significant. Moreover, with the spread of cross-sectional imaging it is very frequent to find anatomical variants; therefore the radiologist should easily recognize their appearances. This case report shows a left-side upper partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) through a "curved" vein that joins the left brachiocephalic vein, in a female patient who underwent whole-body computed tomography (CT) for staging endometrial cancer. This was an incidental finding, not related to any symptoms; however, we explain the anatomical aspects of this abnormality within the congenital condition of PAPVR and its possible clinical relevance.