Detection of the draining vein from hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia on three-dimensional computed tomography.

It is sometimes difficult to differentiate focal nodular hyperplasia from other hepatic tumors. A report is presented of a patient in whom three-dimensional computed tomography was useful to diagnose focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. In a 31-year-old women with epigastralgia, ultrasonography and computed tomograms showed a tumor in the liver. Three-dimensional computed tomograms showed a hypervascular lesion with a hypodense interior and feeding arteries on early images. On delayed images, a draining vein connecting with the hepatic vein was clearly demonstrated. Although focal nodular hyperplasia was strongly suspected, the tumor was resected because of the enlargement and extrahepatic growth of the tumor. Pathologic examination showed that the tumor was focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. A draining vein connecting to the hepatic vein may be a characteristic of focal nodular hyperplasia. Three-dimensional computed tomography may be useful to diagnose focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver.