Transient hepatic attenuation difference (THAD) in patients without neoplasm. Frequency, shape, distribution, and causes

Transient hepatic attenuation difference (THAD) is a valuable finding in detecting hypervascular lesions. However, similar findings are also observed in patients even without known hepatic diseases. We elucidate the characteristic findings and the causes of THAD in patients without hepatic neoplasm in this article. Dual-phased contrast-enhanced CT studies performed in 450 patients were reviewed, and THAD was observed in 42 (9.3%). THAD was linear or wedge-shaped and was seen contiguous to the liver surface with a relatively obscure margin in 40 of the 42 cases. The most common cause of THAD was chronic cholecystitis followed by previous biliary surgery. THAD was also seen in 30 patients with no hepatic diseases in whom it had a tendency to locate around the gallbladder fossa or in the periphery of the liver particularly in the left lobe. The knowledge of the prevalence, shape, distribution and causes of THAD is essential for the evaluation of contrast-enhanced CT images obtained during the arterial phase. (author)