Pitfalls in the diagnosis of hepatic cysts by computed tomography.

Abstract

Seven patients with computed tomographic (CT) evidence of cystic hepatic lesions are presented. In these cases, CT could not reliably distinguish benign hepatic cysts from other intrahepatic and extrahepatic cystic lesions. The attenuation coefficients of simple cysts and inflammatory or neoplastic lesions were similar and smooth margins occurred in all 3 of these conditions. It was not possible to visualize and differentiate lesion walls from the surrounding normal hepatic parenchyma in some cases. The specificity of CT in the differentiation of benign cysts and other lesions is evidently lower in the liver than it is in other areas, such as the kidney. In cases of diagnostic uncertainty, biopsy should apparently be performed.