MR imaging of traumatic hepatic laceration: evaluation and course of healing after surgery.

Six patients with hepatic laceration underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 0.5T. Acute hepatic laceration was slightly hypointense on T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) image, and hyperintense on T2- and proton-weighted SE images. Subacute laceration was heterogeneously intense on T1-weighted image and hyperintense on T2- and proton-weighted images. Consistent changes in signal intensity of postoperative hepatic laceration were observed. On T1-weighted image, the signal intensity at first increased and then decreased from periphery to the center. On the T2- and proton-weighted images, the laceration was uniformly hyperintense relative to the liver prior to the appearance and growth of a hypointense ring at its periphery. The appearance of the above changes in signal intensity was also observed in postoperative recurrent hemorrhage. The postoperative biloma had none of the above changes in signal intensity. Our cases show that MRI is effective in the evaluation of hepatic laceration and in the assessment of the course of healing after operation.