Condition Specific Radiology: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

OVERVIEW

This page is dedicated to covering how the condition hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will appear on different types of imaging studies.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS

Fundamentally, HCC is a malignancy that involves the liver.

Image source

Here are some general features of this condition that might be appreciated across modalities:

  • Arterial enhancement
  • Large size
  • Rapid growth 
ULTRASOUND

Focal liver nodules can be detected on abdominal ultrasound, however it is important to appreciate that HCC does not necessarily have a “characteristic” appearance on ultrasound (and can present variably on this imaging modality).

Key features of the appearance of this condition on this imaging modality are:

  • Hypoechoic nature of lesions (typically but not always): in some cases might be hyperechoic or have mixed echogenecity
  • Size larger then 1 cm: the majority of liver lesions that are less then 1cm in size at the time of detection are not HCC 
  • Enlarging nodules over serial ultrasound studies is more concerning for HCC
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY (CT-SCAN)

Key features of the appearance of this condition on this imaging modality are:

 

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)

Key features of the appearance of this condition on this imaging modality are:

 

FURTHER READING

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Illustrated Guide to Systematic Radiologic Diagnosis and Staging According to Guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

 

Page Updated: 08.30.2017