Hepatic Capsular Retraction

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Hepatic Capsular Retraction

Retraction of the liver capsule can be associated with an adjacent hepatic tumor, but can also be seen without a hepatic tumor. It is a nonspecific sign. If associated with a tumor it may be secondary to necrosis and desmoplastic reaction within the tumor.

One rare tumor that is typically associated with capsular retraction is hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a low-grade malignant vascular liver tumor that is intermediate in clinical course between cavernous hemangioma and angiosarcoma. The lesions occur only in adults with a mean age of 45 years and a slight female sex predilection. In addition to capsular retraction, other imaging findings include peripheral nodules, which can coalesce into large confluent peripheral masses. A characteristic pattern of enhancement is a target appearance of a hypodense center with enhancing peripheral rim and a hypodense halo around the enhancing peripheral rim.¹

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