Hepatic lipoma
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Yuranga Weerakkody had no recorded disclosures.
View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Mohammad Taghi Niknejad had no recorded disclosures.
View Mohammad Taghi Niknejad's current disclosures- Hepatic lipomas
- Lipoma of the liver
- Lipoma of liver
- Intrahepatic lipoma
Hepatic lipomas are uncommon benign lesions of the liver.
On this page:
Epidemiology
Associations
Pathology
As with lipomas elsewhere in the body, hepatic lipomas are marginated masses that are composed of mature adipocytes without evidence of cellular atypia.
Histopathologic evaluation may reveal adenomatous, angiomatous, or myomatous tissue components, which may then yield a classification of "adenolipoma", "angiomyolipoma", or "myelolipoma" 5.
Radiographic features
As with other lipomas, hepatic lipomas are characteristically circumscribed homogeneous lesions that appear to contain macroscopic fat. They are usually isolated and range from 1 to 6 cm in diameter 6.
Ultrasound
- circumscribed, solid hyperechoic mass with variable posterior acoustic shadow
- discontinuous diaphragm appearance 7
- refractive artifact may result in focal displacement and discontinuous appearance of the diaphragm posterior to the lipoma
- due to slower sound speed in fat tissue compared to normal liver tissue and refraction of the sound beam
CT
- round nodule of homogeneous fat attenuation (-20 to -70 HU)
- pure lipomas have no soft tissue component or enhancement
MRI
Round nodule with signal characteristics of macroscopic fat:
- T1: high signal
- T2: high signal
- fat-suppressed sequences: diffuse signal loss
-
IP/OP:
- marginal India-ink artifact
- small lesions may appear to lose signal entirely from chemical shift artifact, due to limited spatial resolution
ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads
Differential diagnosis
Additional hepatic lesions that may contain macroscopic fat include:
- adenoma - may have macro- or microscopic fat 8
- angiomyolipoma 8
- pseudolipoma of Glisson capsule
- liposarcoma
- teratoma (rare)
- hepatic adrenal rest tumors (HART) (rare) 8
- xanthomatous lesions of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (rare) 8
- metastases (extremely rare)
- the vast majority of metastases do not contain fat
See also
References
- 1. Shin HJ, Kim HH, Kim SM et-al. Imaging features of metaplastic carcinoma with chondroid differentiation of the breast. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2007;188 (3): 691-6. doi:10.2214/AJR.05.0831 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Kakitsubata Y, Nakamura R, Shiba T et-al. Lipoma of the falciform ligament: US, CT, and MRI appearances. Clin Imaging. 17 (1): 27-9. - Pubmed citation
- 3. Langsteger W, Lind P, Schneider GH et-al. Lipoma of the liver: computed tomographic, ultrasonographic, and cytologic findings. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 1990;25 (3): 302-6. - Pubmed citation
- 4. Prasad SR, Wang H, Rosas H et-al. Fat-containing lesions of the liver: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics. 25 (2): 321-31. doi:10.1148/rg.252045083 - Pubmed citation
- 5. Vassiliades VG, Bree RL, Korobkin M. Focal and diffuse benign hepatic disease: correlative imaging. Semin. Ultrasound CT MR. 1992;13 (5): 313-35. Pubmed citation
- 6. Roberts JL, Fishman EK, Hartman DS et-al. Lipomatous tumors of the liver: evaluation with CT and US. Radiology. 1986;158 (3): 613-7. Radiology (abstract) - Pubmed citation
- 7. Martí-Bonmatí L, Menor F, Vizcaino I et-al. Lipoma of the liver: US, CT, and MRI appearance. Gastrointest Radiol. 1989;14 (2): 155-7. Pubmed citation
- 8. Srinivasa R. Prasad, Hanlin Wang, Humberto Rosas, Christine O. Menias, Vamsi R. Narra, William D. Middleton, Jay P. Heiken. Fat-containing Lesions of the Liver: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation1. (2005) RadioGraphics. 25 (2): 321-31. doi:10.1148/rg.252045083 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Related articles: Pathology: Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary
- liver
- depositional disorders
- infection and inflammation
- liver abscess
- hepatic hydatid infection
- cirrhosis
- hepatitis
- cholecystitis
- cholangitis
- malignancy
- liver and intrahepatic bile duct tumors
- benign epithelial tumors
- hepatocellular hyperplasia
- hepatocellular adenoma
- hepatic/biliary cysts
- benign nonepithelial tumors
- primary malignant epithelial tumors
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- hepatocellular carcinoma variants
-
cholangiocarcinoma
- intra-hepatic
- mass-forming type
- periductal infiltrating type - Klatskin tumors
- intraductal growing type
- extra-hepatic/large duct type
- intra-hepatic
- biliary cystadenocarcinoma
- combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma
- hepatoblastoma
- undifferentiated carcinoma
- primary malignant nonepithelial tumors
- hematopoietic and lymphoid tumors
- primary hepatic lymphoma
- hepatic myeloid sarcoma (hepatic chloroma)
- secondary tumors
- miscellaneous
- adrenal rest tumors
- hepatic carcinosarcoma
- hepatic fibroma
- hepatic hemangioma
- hepatic Kaposi sarcoma
- hepatic lipoma
- hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma
- hepatic myxoma
- hepatic rhabdoid tumor
- hepatic solitary fibrous tumor
- hepatic teratoma
- hepatic yolk sac tumor
- inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (inflammatory pseudotumor)
- nodular regenerative hyperplasia
- pancreatic rest tumors
- primary hepatic carcinoid
- benign epithelial tumors
- liver and intrahepatic bile duct tumors
- metabolic
- trauma
-
vascular and perfusion disorders
- portal vein related
- hepatic artery related
- hepatic veins related
- inferior vena cava related
- other
- third inflow
- liver thrombotic angiitis
- infra diaphragmatic total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR)
- hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu disease)
- pancreas
-
pancreatic neoplasms
- cystic neoplasm (cystic pancreatic mass differential diagnosis)
- solid neoplasm
- non-epithelial pancreatic neoplasms
- others
- simple pancreatic cyst
-
pancreatitis (mnemonic for the causes)
- acute pancreatitis
- chronic pancreatitis
- Ascaris-induced pancreatitis
- tropical pancreatitis
- autoimmune pancreatitis
- emphysematous pancreatitis
- hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis
- hereditary pancreatitis
- pancreatitis associated with cystic fibrosis
- pancreaticopleural fistula
- segmental pancreatitis
- pancreatic atrophy
- pancreatic lipomatosis
- pancreatic trauma
- pancreatic transplant
-
pancreatic neoplasms
- gallbladder and biliary
- congenital malformations and anatomical variants
- gallstones
- gallbladder inflammation
- bile ducts inflammation
- gallbladder wall abnormalities
- other gallbladder abnormalities
- bile duct dilatation (differential)
- bile duct wall thickening (differential)
- bile ducts neoplasms