Imaging diagnosis of intrahepatic volume formations

Abstract

Background. Liver nodules can occur both on the background of non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic liver. Early diagnosis through CT and MRI imaging examinations of benign and malignant liver lesions is essential for evaluating imaging criteria, assessing the extent of the tumor process, and establishing therapeutic management. Objective(s). Evaluation of imaging performance by CT and MRI in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors and comparison of the efficiency of each imaging method in current clinical practice. Materials and methods. In a retrospective, observational study, 200 patients with benign and malignant liver formations were selected from January 2021 to January 2025. The imaging criteria included: dimensions, structure, extension of the tumor process and vascular invasion in malignant tumors. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were evaluated. Results. Differences in sensitivity and NPV were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance for specificity and PPV (P>0.05). The diagnostic efficiency of MRI is better than that of CT diagnosis, but they often complement each other. The diagnostic efficiency of MRI is better than that of CT diagnosis, but they often complement each other. The performance was poor for masses <1 cm and had better results for masses ≥2 cm. Pitfalls: lesions too small <1 cm difficult to evaluate including on MRI, focal intrahepatic lesions with poor contrast, perfusion abnormalities of the liver parenchyma or focal fatty infiltration. Conclusion(s). The study confirms that MRI examination is the examination of choice for liver tumors <2 cm, but often these two methods (CT and MRI) are complementary. The evaluation of liver volume formations in complexity through imaging characteristics allows the indication of a correct therapeutic strategy.