Hepatic morphology abnormalities: beyond cirrhosis

Abstract

The diagnosis of cirrhosis can be reached on the basis of established hepatic morphological changes. However, some other conditions can mimic cirrhosis. The aim of this pictorial essay is to review the CT and MRI appearances of hepatic morphology abnormalities in the cirrhotic liver and other diseases, describing pathologic conditions that can mimic cirrhosis, with useful tips for the differential diagnosis. Mimickers of cirrhosis include congenital hepatic fibrosis, Caroli disease, Budd-Chiari Syndrome, hepatoportal sclerosis, cavernous transformation of the portal vein, pseudocirrhosis from metastatic disease, acute liver failure, post-therapeutic morphologic changes in the liver, and infective conditions including schistosomiasis and oriental cholangiohepatitis. Recognizing the hepatic morphological changes in images can help radiologists to diagnose cirrhosis and other diseases in early stages.

Keywords: Cirrhosis; Computed tomography; Liver; Magnetic resonance; Mimickers of cirrhosis; Morphological abnormalities.