Objective  To discuss the CT imaging differences between hepatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods  The clinical and CT data of 42 patients with hepatic NENs (hepatic NENs group) and 49 patients with HCC (HCC group), who were confirmed by pathology in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from June 2011 to June 2016, were collected and analyzed retrospectively. This study was based on whether the lesions were larger than 3 cm or not, then CT findings of hepatic NENs patients and HCC patients in different stratification were compared. Results  When the lesions were less than 3 cm, the location, contour, and enhancement patterns in the portal vein phase of the tumor had significant differences between the hepatic NENs group and the HCC group (P<0.05), multiple liver lesions, the round shape, and prolonged enhancement in the portal vein phase were more often seen in the hepatic NENs group, but there was no significant on diameter of tumor, boundary of lesion, pseudocapsules, scan density, hypervascularity, enhancement degree in arterial phase, enhancement patterns in arterial phase, daughter foci at liver, retraction, neoplastic artery, arteriovenous invaded, portal vein tumor thrombus, diameter of lymph node, and enhancement degree of lymph node between the 2 groups (P>0.05). And when the lesions were greater than or equal to 3 cm, the location, contour, enhancement patterns in the portal vein phase of the tumor, pseudocapsule, neoplastic artery, and arteriovenous invaded had significant differences between the hepatic NENs group and the HCC group (P<0.05), these CT images were often seen in the hepatic NENs group, such as multiple liver lesions, the lobulated shape, the portal venous phase continuous strengthening, no pseudocapsule, no neoplastic artery, and no arteriovenous invaded, but there was no significant difference on the diameter of tumor, boundary of lesion, scan density, hypervascularity, enhancement degree in arterial phase, enhancement patterns in arterial phase, daughter foci at liver, retraction, portal vein tumor thrombus, diameter of lymph node, and enhancement degree of lymph node between the2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusions  No matter whether the lesions’ size are larger than 3 cm or not, the location, contour, and enhancement patterns in the portal vein phase could help for differentiating hepatic NENs from HCC. When the lessions are larger than 3 cm, pseudocapsule, neoplastic artery, and arteriovenous invaded may be useful to differentiate.

Citation： YANG Weilin, CHEN Weixia. CT characteristics and differentiations between hepatic neuroendocrine neoplasms and hepatocellular carcinoma. CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY, 2017, 24(12): 1524-1531. doi: 10.7507/1007-9424.201710015 Copy