Well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma detected as hypovascularity by only CT during hepatic arteriography.

ABSTRACT

We describe a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis in a 69-year-old man. Ultrasonography (US) disclosed a 10 mm hypoechoic nodule in segment 4; Sonazoid contrast-enhanced US and gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no defect in either the Kupffer phase or the hepatobiliary phase. Computed tomography during hepatic arteriography (CTHA), however, revealed a hypovascular nodule, but CT during arterial portography showed no perfusion defect. Histological analysis indicated a well-differentiated HCC. Thus, our detection of well-differentiated HCC disclosed by only CTHA attested to the efficiency of this modality, suggesting that it is more sensitive than Gd-EOB-GTPA-enhanced MRI.