Sonographic and computed tomography features of hepatic angiomyolipoma / 中国医学科学院学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the sonographic and computed tomography (CT) features of hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sonographic and CT findings were analyzed in 12 patients (9 females and 3 males) with pathologically proved HAML. The size, margin, location, gray scale, and color Doppler flow imaging characteristics were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HAML was located correctly with ultrasound in all patients. The sonographic features of 12 HAML included regular shape, clear margin, and three type of echoes including homogeneous hyperechoes (n=5), heterogeneous internal echoes (n=5), or homogeneous hypoechoes (n=2). The arterial flow signal was detected in two HAML. The CT findings included adipose density (n=3), soft tissue density (n=3), and mixed density (n=6). The sonographic and CT findings were correlated with the composition and distribution of fat, vessels, and smooth muscle tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Fatty tissues within HAML shows typical imaging findings. The ultrasonographic and CT have their own advantages in detecting the fatty tissue inside HAML, and therefore a combination of these two techniques may increase the diagnostic accuracy of HAML.</p>