Correlation of MRI and CT findings with histopathology in hepatic angiomyolipoma

Hepatic angiomyolipomas are rare and often mimic other liver tumors. The aim of our study was to describe the CT and MRI findings and to correlate imaging features with histopathology. The CT and/or MR images were available for retrospective analysis in seven patients. Patients had non-enhanced as well as enhanced CT (n = 6) or MRI (n = 4) before and after administration of Gd-DTPA (n = 2) or MnDPDP, a liver specific contrast agent, (n = 3). In three patients CT and MRI did not detect fat, and in two patients the angiomyolipomas were also histopathologically devoid of fat. Vascularity ranged from hypervascular (n = 4) with arteriovenous shunts (n = 1) to equal (n = 1) or less (n = 2) postcontrast enhancement compared with the normal liver parenchyma. No uptake of the liver specific contrast agent, MnDPDP, was observed (n = 3). Predominantly, CT and MRI did not include angiomyolipoma in the differential diagnosis, and the initial histopathological evaluation was inconclusive in more than half the cases. Hepatic angiomyolipomas frequently manifest as solitary well-circumscribed heterogeneous masses in patients with no underlying liver disease or elevation of serum tumor markers. If present, the demonstration of intratumoral fat is helpful in the diagnosis of angiomyolipoma. The final diagnosis can be obtained by immunohistochemistry.