Multiple calcifications in the liver

Organ calcification is an important problem and treatment and improvement must be strengthened, especially the phenomenon of multiple calcification spots in the liver. Patients should be alert to the occurrence of other complications. Chronic liver diseases can easily lead to calcification spots, which are mostly in the shape of dots, strips, arcs, and rings. At this time, it is necessary to promptly carry out anti-inflammatory treatment for the liver, and pay attention to the occurrence of liver parasitic diseases.

Causes and common diseases:

1. Tumors

Calcification is not uncommon in primary liver cancer, the most common of which is fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Data indicate that when primary liver cancer is calcified, fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma should be considered first. Ultrasound shows that the liver mass has spotty calcification echoes accompanied by acoustic shadows, and CT can detect very small calcifications. Its radiological characteristics are large tumors, rich blood vessels and accompanied by calcification. Other primary tumors include cholangiocarcinoma, hepatic hemangioma, hepatoblastoma, hepatic hemangioendothelioma, etc. Calcified liver tumors are a special type of liver metastases, more than half of which come from colon mucinous adenocarcinoma. The calcification morphology is diffuse, nodular, and amorphous. Other primary tumors with liver calcification metastasis include ovarian pseudomucinous cystadenoma, breast cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, melanoma, etc. In addition to the highly echogenic light masses, the calcification caused by the tumor also has the imaging manifestations of the tumor itself. B-ultrasound shows single or multiple solid space-occupying lesions in the liver parenchyma, which are highly echogenic and may be accompanied by a low-echo halo at the periphery. CT showed round or quasi-round low-density lesions in the liver.

(ii) Inflammation and granuloma:

Various chronic inflammations and granulomas of the liver can cause liver calcification. Hepatic tuberculosis manifests as single or multiple localized low-density lesions accompanied by fine dot-like or plaque-like calcifications. Calcification of liver abscess is cyst wall and edge type, mainly in the form of dots, strips, arcs or rings.

(III) Liver parasitic diseases:

About 60% of hepatic hydatid cysts show partial or complete calcification of the cyst wall in the form of dots, shells, crescents or rings, with ring-shaped calcification being more characteristic. The eggs of hepatic schistosomiasis cause malnutrition calcification in the liver. CT findings include capsular calcification, septal calcification within the liver parenchyma, and even "turtle-like" or "map-like" changes.

(iv) Calcification may also occur due to other liver injuries, liver transplantation, aneurysm, etc. Tuberculosis, fungi, syphilis, sarcoidosis, etc. can all cause localized calcification spots in the liver.

Simple calcification foci are traces left by previous diseases. They have no obvious symptoms and do not cause any harm to the body.

examine:

1. Ultrasound examination:

It appears as strong echoes, speckled, and with sound shadows. Strong echoes may appear in any part of the body, isolated and scattered with acoustic shadows; (2) They are often inconsistent with the shape of the intrahepatic bile duct. If they are consistent, they appear as "equal sign" or "line"-like strong echoes, without local bile duct dilatation or surrounding fluid accumulation; (3) There is no damage to the liver tissue around the lobe segment; (4) There is no significant change in the follow-up of medical treatment.

(ii) CT examination:

CT can clearly show the location, size, shape and accompanying lesions of intrahepatic calcification foci. Enhanced scanning can also identify localized mild bile duct dilatation and liver atrophy that are difficult to show by B-ultrasound, and exclude other lesions.

4. Treatment principles:

Intrahepatic calcifications indicate poor local blood supply to the liver. If there is no obvious abnormal liver function, no treatment is required and regular check-ups will be sufficient.