Abstract

Aims: To investigate the radiological characteristics of the PHNENs on CT and MRI and improve the understanding of the image manifestations and preoperative diagnosis of the disease.

Background: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PHNENs) are rare diseases, and most of the relevant studies are case reports. Characterized by no specific clinical symptoms, PHNENs not only have a low preoperative diagnosis rate with great difficulty in early diagnosis but are frequently misdiagnosed as primary hepatic cancer.

Objective: 15 PHNEN patients were enrolled, with 10 cases in the G2 stage and 5 cases in the G3 stage.

Methods: The imaging and clinicopathological information of 15 patients pathologically diagnosed with PHNENs was retrospectively reviewed.

Results: The average age of the patients enrolled was 46.14±18.24 years, and the average tumor size was 91.00±61.17 mm. 13 cases showed nodules or masses, 8 cases were located in the periphery of the liver, showing capsule depression and subcapsular effusion signs. CT enhanced scan showed heterogeneous and obvious enhancement in 9 arterial-phase cases, 2 cases in arterial and portal venous phases both saw mild enhancement; the enhancement degree of lesions in the G2 stage in the arterial phase was significantly higher than in the G3 stage. Gd-EOB-DTPA dynamic enhanced MRI was conducted on 3 cases, and scattered lesions with heterogeneous and slight hyperintensity were observed in the hepatobiliaryspecific lesions. Image manifestations showed diffuse lesions in 2 cases, with heterogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase and decreased enhancement in the portal venous phase by the dynamic enhanced scan.

Conclusion: PHNENs were the imaging characteristics of PHNENs. The CT-enhanced scanning during the arterial phase may provide a certain reference for pathological grading (G2 and G3 grades). Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI is helpful for PHNEN diagnosis.