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Reversible heterogeneous arterial phase liver perfusion associated with transient acute hepatitis: Findings on gadolinium‐enhanced MRI
Author(s) -
Martin Diego R.,
Seibert Donald,
Yang Ming,
Salman Khalil,
Frick Mathis P.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20192
Subject(s) - medicine , perfusion , gadolinium , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , hepatitis , liver disease , histopathology , pathology , materials science , metallurgy
Abstract Purpose To assess a possible correlation between active acute hepatitis and the development of abnormal liver perfusion demonstrated as heterogeneous enhancement on arterial phase gadolinium‐enhanced MRI. Dynamically‐enhanced MRI of the liver can detect reversible perfusion abnormalities that correlate with acute hepatitis. Materials and Methods Six patients presenting with symptoms and clinical findings in keeping with transient acute hepatitis underwent serial MRI of the liver throughout the course of the disease. Serial liver enzyme analysis was performed for all six patients, and histopathology was assessed for three patients. Imaging included gadolinium‐enhanced arterial and venous‐phase gradient‐echo sequences. Results Arterial phase gadolinium‐enhanced MRI showed abnormal irregular liver perfusion in the setting of acute hepatitis, and the degree of irregularity, as well as the persistence of irregular enhancement into the venous phase, correlated with the clinical severity of the disease. Conclusion Acute hepatitis can cause irregular enhancement of the liver on arterial‐phase, gadolinium‐enhanced, gradient‐echo MRI, a reversible finding that improves with clinical improvement of the disease. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;20:838–842. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.