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Volume 7, Issue 6 , Pages 624-634, June 2009

Imaging Approach for Evaluation of Focal Liver Lesions

Daniele Marin
- Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Rome–La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Alessandro Furlan
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Michael P. Federle
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California
Massimo Midiri
- Department of Radiology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Giuseppe Brancatelli
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Radiology Unit, La Maddalena Hospital, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Radiology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Giuseppe Brancatelli, MD, University of Palermo, Department of Radiology, Via Villaermosa 29, 90139 Palermo, Italy. fax: 01139-(0)91-6552325

published online 06 April 2009.

Focal liver lesions are common in the general population. Radiology (imaging) plays a pivotal role for the diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and follow-up of focal liver lesions. To maximize lesion detection and characterization, imaging needs to be performed with appropriate equipment by using protocols carefully designed on the basis of the underlying clinical context. In addition, the decision of an imaging modality cannot be based on the diagnostic accuracy of an imaging test solely but must also consider patient safety and cost-effectiveness.

Abbreviations used in this paper: CEUS, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, CT, computed tomography, HAP, hepatic arterial dominant phase, HVP, hepatic venous phase, MDCT, multi-detector row computed tomography, MRI, magnetic resonance imaging, PET, positron emission tomography, US, ultrasonography