Results of computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), angiography, and radionuclide imaging were analyzed in five cases of histologically proved hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), a rare vascular tumor of adults that has a variable but often long clinical course. All patients received palliative treatment. CT and US were performed repeatedly over a period of up to 53 months. Initial radiologic examination showed two types of hepatic lesions: multiple nodules in both lobes (nodular lesions, n = 2) and large masses with or without calcifications that generally spread along the hepatic margins (diffuse lesions, n = 3). Nodular lesions may be an earlier form of hepatic EHE, as they later gradually changed into the diffuse type. Follow-up CT after treatment showed definite regression of tumors in two cases. In the differential diagnosis, the radiologic findings of diffuse lesions were considered to be specific to hepatic EHE, while those of nodular lesions were nonspecific.
Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are divided into two major groups: microcystic adenomas and mucinous cystic neoplasms. Five microcystic adenomas and seven mucinous cystic neoplasms (three cystadenomas and four cystadenocarcinomas) were examined with both magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT). The cystic content was differentiated more easily with MR imaging than with CT. It was homogeneous in four of the five microcystic adenomas, all of which had lobulated borders best seen on T2-weighted images. The mucinous cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas were all composed of multiple compartments that varied in signal intensity. The septa, shape, and wall thickness were demonstrated on T1- and/or T2-weighted MR images almost as well as on CT scans. Overall, MR imaging was equal or slightly superior to CT in the diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms, except in its limited ability to demonstrate calcifications of the tumor wall and septa.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.