A Case of a Solitary Necrotic Nodule of the Liver Mimicking Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

A 77-year-old man was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a liver tumor found on ultrasonography, which showed a mosaic pattern tumor. 46 mm × 41 mm, in segment 7 of the liver. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a slightly enhanced tumor with a low-density area in the portal phase, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a well-circumscribed tumor with intermediate high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and low signal intensity on T2-weighted images. The possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma could not be ruled out, and posterior segmentectomy of the liver was performed. Histopathological examination showed a solitary necrotic nodule of the liver. This case corroborates that, despite the advances in liver imaging, liver nodules are sometimes a diagnostic challenge ; quite often, only surgical resection provides a definitive diagnosis.