VON-MEYENBURG COMPLEXES OF THE LIVER - IMAGING FINDINGS

Purpose: Our purpose was to present imaging findings of six cases prov en or supposed to be von Meyenburg complexes (VMCs) with a basis of re viewing the pathologic literature and to describe imaging points for t he diagnosis of typical VMC along with its differential diagnosis. Met hod: Six cases were diagnosed as VMC of the liver with imaging modalit ies tone had histopathologic proof). Both ultrasound (US) and CT were available for all cases, and MRT was used for three cases. Follow-up w ith US, CT, and/or MRI was performed in five cases. Results: US detect ed varying abnormalities of the livers in four cases. CT and MRI revea led multiple or numerous intrahepatic tiny (usually <5 mm) cystoid les ions in all of the cases. The lesions were scattered throughout the li vers, and some of them were located more frequently adjacent to the me dium-sized portal veins than to the hepatic veins of similar size on C T. Moreover, some lesions were apparently located in the subcapsular a reas (up to the hepatic capsules). They were usually irregular in shap e and showed no enhancement but increased in number by similar to 80-1 50% after administration of intravenous contrast medium. The T2-weight ed MR images and MR cholangiopancreatography showed the lesions to be much more apparent and to be more numerous than T1-weighted images did . Follow-up of five cases with imaging modalities did not show remarka ble change of the lesions. Conclusion: Despite our limited experience, VMC lesions seem to show some CT and MR features different from those of other multiple small hepatic lesions. They presented as multiple o r numerous intrahepatic tiny cystoid lesions usually with irregular co ntour, scattered throughout the liver up to the subcapsular areas, and were detected in far greater number by enhanced CT or T2-weighted MR images than by unenhanced CT or T1-weighted images. They showed no rem arkable change on long term follow-up imaging. We propose that a diagn osis of typical VMC could be made after analyzing CT or MR images care fully with good understanding of its pathologic basis, but imaging fol low-up is necessary in oncology patients.