RESUMO
Objective To investigate CT findings of hepatic necrosis and regeneration after liver failure.Methods Five patients with liver failure underwent CT scan before orthotopic liver transplantation.These findings were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with gross specimen and pathologic findings obtained after transplantation.Results Among 5 cases,the CT appearances of liver failure can be divided into 3 types.(1)Massive confluent aggregate foci in 2 patients demonstrated low attenuation and high attenuation as geographical patlerns on CT scans before contrast enhancement.respectively.The histopathological liver changes showed massive necrosis and regencratinn. Regions of necrosis enhanced to attenuation greater than that of normal liver parenchyma in portal-venous phase,the regions of regeneration enhanced to attenuation greater than that of normal liver parenchyma in arterial phase on postcontrast CT images.(2)In 2 patients,diffuse nodules of liver demonstrated high attenuation on plain CT scans,which was nodular necrosis and nodular regeneration pathologically.All enhanced to attenuation greater than that of normal liver parenchyma in arterial phase.The former showed hypointensity in portal-venous phase and equilibrium phase.The latter enhanced to attenuation equal to that of normal liver parenchyma in portalvenous phase and equilibrium phase on postcontrast CT images.(3)Multiple small foci in 1 case demonstrated low attenuatiun on precontrast CT images and enhanced to hyperintensity in portal-venous phase and isointensity in arterial phase and equilibrium phase on postcontrast CT images.The histopathological liver changes showed multiple necrosis.Conclusion Liver failure may reveal characteristic imaging patterns at CT.