Defining vascular signatures of malignant hepatic masses: role of MDCT with 3D rendering

Malignant hepatic masses, both primary and metastatic lesions, have characteristic CT appearances and enhancement patterns. Owing to advances in CT resolution, high-quality vascular maps can be generated with 3D rendering tools to aid hepatic mass evaluation. These renderings enable identification of neovascularity, which is critical for distinguishing malignant from benign lesions, and facilitate identification of small hyperenhancing malignant hepatic tumors. In this review, CT features of malignant hepatic masses are discussed in conjunction with a demonstration of the role for 3D vascular mapping.