Fat-containing liver lesions on imaging: detection and differential diagnosis

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review how fat is detected on imaging and to discuss the differential diagnosis of fat-containing liver lesions. CONCLUSION. Fat is a highly useful feature in characterizing liver lesions on imaging. Although a variety of liver lesions can show fat on cross-sectional imaging, the presence of fat usually indicates that the lesion is of hepatocellular origin. Less commonly, nonhepatocellular fatty lesions may be distinguished by ancillary clinical and imaging features.