Computer tomography and magnetic resonance image manifestations of primary hepatic neuroendocrine cell carcinomas.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the manifestation of CT, MRI and dynamic enhanced scans for primary hepatic neuroendocrine cell carcinoma.

Methods: CT or MRI arterial and venous phase scan images of 19 cases of pathologically confirmed PHNEC were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: 14 cases (73.68%) with single lesion, 5 cases (26.3%) with multiple lesions, with an average diameter of 13.2 cm. Some 12 cases (63.16%) showed inhomogeneous enhancement, seven cases (36.8%) showed homogeneous enhancement, 13 cases (68.4%) demonstrated significant enhancement in the arterial phase, 13 cases (68.4%) had significantly enhanced portal venous phase including 7 cases (36.8 %) with portal venous phase density or signal above the arterial phase and 5 cases (26.3%) with the portal vein density or signal below the arterial phase. Seven cases (36.8%) had continued strengthened separate shadows in the center of the lesion. Thrombosis were not seen in portal veins.

Conclusion: CT and MRI images of liver cell neuroendocrine carcinoma have certain characteristics that can provide valuable information for diagnosis and differential diagnosis.