A case of focal nodular hyperplasia presenting corona enhancement on single-level dynamic CT during hepatic arteriography

Abstract

A hepatic nodule was detected in segment 5/6 on abdominal US study in a 28 year-old male. The nodule was 7cm in diameter and the early phase of contrasted US, CT and MRI images showed spoke-wheel like vessels radiating from the center. No defect images were observed on postvascular phase contrasted US and SPIO MRI, which indicated the presence of Kupffer cells in the nodule. The nodule was diagnosed as a focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) based on histological findings. The late phase of single level dynamic CT during hepatic arteriography (CTHA) showed corona enhancement of the nodule, which is considered to be characteristic of hypervascular metastatic liver tumors, hyperplastic nodules and HCCs. In our case, the drainage flow from the nodule may have been visualized as corona enhancement via the pathway from the sinusoid in the nodular periphery to the one in the adjacent and contiguous parenchyma.