"Pseudotumoral" hepatic areas in acute alcoholic hepatitis: a computed tomography and histological study.

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) findings in acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH) have not been investigated and a "pseudotumoral aspect" of the liver parenchyma has rarely been reported as an exceedingly unusual finding. We observed 11 patients with AAH over a 1-yr period, five of whom underwent CT for concomitant clinical reasons. Arterial enhancement indicated areas of hypervascularized tissue in all cases, and the histological findings were fully consistent with AAH without any sign of malignancy. The present findings suggest that the above pattern is not uncommon in AAH and should be carefully considered in order to avoid diagnostic errors.