Unusual MRI appearance of a well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, mimicking a cavernous hemangioma: A case report

The typical imaging findings in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are arterial hyperenhancement with washout on portal venous and/or equilibrium phases. Larger HCCs can have atypical imaging findings including fibrous capsule or mosaic appearance. We describe an unusual biopsy proven HCC in a cirrhotic liver with imaging features mimicking cavernous hemangioma which also demonstrated some atypical features such as thick capsule. In addition to knowing the typical imaging findings of HCC, it is important to be familiar with its atypical imaging findings especially in larger lesions. Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Cavernous hemangioma, MRI, Atypica