Highlights
- •Hyper-attenuated liver is best diagnosed by non-enhanced CT.
- •It appears as diffusely increased liver density of over 70 HU.
- •It indicates deposition of radiopaque elements in the liver parenchyma.
- •The most common cause of it is iodine from amiodarone therapy.
- •Various other etiologies of this condition are presented.
Abstract
Demonstration of a very dense or hyper-attenuated liver on the pre-contrast CT images
of the abdomen can be an unexpected finding. It may present as a diagnostic challenge
if the underlying cause of it is not apparent from the provided clinical history.
There are about 12 different pathologic conditions that are associated with deposition
of radiopaque elements within the hepatic parenchyma, resulting in diffuse or multi-lobar
hyperdense appearance of the liver on abdominal radiographs and CT. Most of them are
drug-induced or iatrogenic in nature, while others are the sequelae of genetic disorders
like thalassemia, Wilson's disease, and primary hemochromatosis. This pictorial essay
will present the CT appearance and etiology of hyper-attenuated liver in various clinical
entities.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 22, 2023
Accepted:
February 20,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 7,
2023
Received:
September 26,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
