The widespread availability and use of serum blood chemistries for screening both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of normal and abnormal liver chemistry tests that must be interpreted by physicians. Therefore, a rational approach for the appropriate evaluation of serum liver chemistries is essential for providing high-quality, cost-effective health care. Although there are no controlled clinical trials examining the optimal approach for eva Join discussion...

In the United States, metastatic disease is the most common cause of malignancy in the liver and is 20 to 50 times more common than primary liver cancer. The colon, stomach, pancreas, and breast are the most common primary sites. The appearance of a new lesion in the liver in a patient with a history of cancer strongly suggests hepatic metastasis. On the other hand, most small (1-1.5 cm) liver lesions, even in patients with known malignancy, are not malignant, especially if there are fewer than Join discussion...

Due to the high prevalence of benign focal hepatic lesions in adults, liver lesion characterization is an important objective of diagnostic imaging. For example, “incidental” liver masses discovered in healthy adults as well as liver lesions detected during staging of a known malignancy often need to be characterized. Common benign liver masses include cysts and hemangiomas, and common malignant tumors are metastases and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Less common liver tumors include focal n Join discussion...