ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To examine the ultrasound (US) appearances of the lymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament in patients with and without hepatic diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: US appearances of elliptical nodules around the common hepatic artery and/or the portal vein were prospectively examined in 156 sequential patients referred for US scans. Retrospective review of CT (n=5) and MR (N=9) appearance of this structure was also performed. RESULTS: Hepatoduodenal lymph nodes were seen by US in 48 of 157 patients (31%). They were visualized in 25 of 103 patients without liver disease (24%) and 12 of 17 patients with viral hepatitis and/or cirrhosis (71%). Patients with viral hepatitis and/or cirrhosis had significantly larger hepatoduodenal nodes than patients without these diseases (P<0.01). An echogenic focus or line representing the lymphatic hilus was noted in 28 patients. The lymph nodes were hyperintense relative to the liver on T2-weighted MR images. CONCLUSION: US visualization of the lymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament is not uncommon even in patients without known liver disease. Enlargement of these nodes is frequently seen in patients with viral hepatitis and/or cirrhosis.
