CT and MRI findings of cirrhosis-related benign nodules with ischaemia or infarction after variceal bleeding

Aim: To present computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of cirrhosis-related benign nodules with ischaemia or infarction. Materials and methods: Sixteen consecutive patients (14 men and two women) who had been diagnosed with cirrhosis-related benign nodules with ischaemia or infarction after variceal bleeding based on the results of dynamic CT (n = 15) and MRI (n = 8) were included in this study. Five patients had histopathological confirmation via liver transplantation (n = 2) and percutaneous biopsy (n = 3). Images were analyzed for the enhancement pattern, signal intensities, location, and configuration of the lesions. Results: Most of the lesions were depicted as multifocal discrete or clustered nodules with some irregular patchy areas (size range 3-28 mm). They were predominantly found in subcapsular area or caudate lobe. Most nodular lesions were seen as hypoattenuating (hypointense) nodules with rim enhancement during dynamic CT or MRI. On T2-weighted images, nodular lesions were predominantly seen as target appearing hyperintense nodules. On follow-up images (range 2-24 months), most of the lesions disappeared or decreased in size. Conclusion: CT and MRI can be used to demonstrate characteristic findings of cirrhosis-related benign nodules with ischaemia or infarction. Rapid resolution of the nodules at follow-up imaging can also be helpful for diagnosing these lesions.