Double target sign (hepatic abscess)

Last revised by Lam Van Le on 15 Feb 2025

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Kurda D, Le L, Niknejad M, et al. Double target sign (hepatic abscess). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-46825

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-46825

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/46825?embed_domain=123

rID:

46825

Article created:

19 Jul 2016, Dylan Kurda

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Dylan Kurda had no recorded disclosures.

View Dylan Kurda's current disclosures

Last revised:

15 Feb 2025, Lam Van Le

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Lam Van Le had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Lam Van Le's current disclosures

Revisions:

10 times, by 10 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Hepatobiliary

Sections:

Signs

Tags:

ref, cases

Synonyms:

Double target sign: hepatic abscess

The double target sign is a characteristic imaging feature of liver abscess on contrast-enhanced CT scans, in which a central, fluid-filled low attenuation lesion is surrounded by a high attenuation inner rim and a low attenuation outer ring ^1,2.

The inner ring (abscess membrane) demonstrates early contrast enhancement which persists on delayed images, in contrast to the outer rim (oedema of the liver parenchyma) which only enhances on delayed phase ². In other words, there is a rim-enhancing fluid collection surrounded by hypoenhancing oedematous parenchyma.