Gatti M, Maino C, Tore D, Carisio A, Darvizeh F, Tricarico E, Inchingolo R, Ippolito D, Faletti R. Benign focal liver lesions: The role of magnetic resonance imaging. World J Hepatol 2022; 14(5): 923-943 [PMID: 35721295 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i5.923]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Marco Gatti, MD, Research Fellow, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Via Genova 3, Turin 10126, Italy. marcogatti17@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. May 27, 2022; 14(5): 923-943 Published online May 27, 2022. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i5.923
Benign focal liver lesions: The role of magnetic resonance imaging
Marco Gatti, Cesare Maino, Davide Tore, Andrea Carisio, Fatemeh Darvizeh, Eleonora Tricarico, Riccardo Inchingolo, Davide Ippolito, Riccardo Faletti
Marco Gatti, Davide Tore, Andrea Carisio, Riccardo Faletti, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
Cesare Maino, Davide Ippolito, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza 20900, Italy
Fatemeh Darvizeh, School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan 20121, Japan
Eleonora Tricarico, Department of Radiology, “F. Perinei” Hospital, Altamura 70022, Italy
Riccardo Inchingolo, Interventional Radiology Unit, “F. Miulli” Regional General Hospital, Acquaviva delle Fonti 70021, Italy
Davide Ippolito, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
Author contributions: Gatti M was involved in conception and design of the study; Gatti M, Maino C, Tore D, Carisio A and Tricarico E were involved in literature review, analysis and writing of the original draft; Darvizeh F was involved in writing of the original draft; Inchingolo R and Ippolito D took part in supervision of the study; Faletti R took part in supervision of the study and is the guarantor of the study; and all the authors worked together to edit, review and approve the article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Marco Gatti, MD, Research Fellow, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Via Genova 3, Turin 10126, Italy. marcogatti17@gmail.com
Received: April 18, 2021 Peer-review started: April 18, 2021 First decision: July 27, 2021 Revised: August 7, 2021 Accepted: April 9, 2022 Article in press: April 9, 2022 Published online: May 27, 2022 Processing time: 401 Days and 0.1 Hours
Abstract
Liver lesions are common findings in radiologists’ daily routine. They are a complex category of pathology that range from solitary benign lesions to primary liver cancer and liver metastases. Benign focal liver lesions can arise from different liver cell types: Epithelial (hepatocytes and biliary cells) and nonepithelial (mesenchymal cells). Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a fundamental radiological method in these patients as it allows with its multiparametric approach optimal non-invasive tissue characterization. Furthermore, advanced liver MRI techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging and hepatobiliary contrast agents have improved the detection of focal liver lesions and can be highly effective in differentiating pseudotumor from tumors, as well as benign from malignant lesions, and can also be used for differential diagnosis. Although histological examination can be useful in making a definitive diagnosis, MRI is an important modality in the diagnosis of liver lesions with a significant impact on patient care. This aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of benign liver lesions on MRI.
Core Tip: Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a fundamental radiological technique in patients with focal liver lesions as it allows, with its multiparametric approach, optimal non-invasive tissue characterization. Liver MRI can be highly effective in distinguishing pseudotumor from tumors, as well as benign from malignant lesions and can also be used for differential diagnosis. Although histopathological assessment sometimes has an important role in definitive diagnosis, MRI is a key imaging modality in the diagnosis of liver lesions with a great impact on patient management.
