TRANSIENT SUBSEGMENTAL HEPATIC PARENCHYMAL ENHANCEMENT ON DYNAMIC CT - A SIGN OF POSTBIOPSY ARTERIOPORTAL SHUNT

Purpose: Our goal was to verify the correlation between the arteriopor tal shunt caused by liver biopsy injury and wedge-shaped early transie nt subsegmental parenchymal enhancement (TSPE) of the liver during hel ical dynamic CT. Method: Twenty-one consecutive patients with suspecte d hepatic tumor underwent percutaneous needle biopsy. Helical dynamic CT scans at arterial, portal venous, and delayed phases were obtained before and after biopsy. CT images were reviewed for the presence of T SPE during the arterial phase of dynamic CT. Hepatic arteriograms were obtained in all patients and reviewed for the presence of arterioport al shunt. Results: Wedge-shaped TSPE was observed on postbiopsy CT in 8 (38%) of the 21 patients along the needle path. In all of these pati ents, subsegmental arterioportal shunt was confirmed by hepatic angiog rams. Conclusion: Wedge-shaped TSPE is commonly observed along the bio psy needle path and is due to arterioportal shunt caused by biopsy.