A hepatic mass is any solid or complex space-occupying lesion found within the liver. On ultrasound, liver masses range from clearly benign findings like simple cysts and typical hemangiomas to potentially malignant lesions that require further workup. The sonographer’s role is to characterize each mass by documenting its size, shape, echogenicity, borders, internal composition, and blood flow pattern on Doppler. Additional features such as the presence of a hypoechoic halo, posterior shadowing or enhancement, and relationship to hepatic vessels all provide diagnostic clues. When a liver mass cannot be confidently characterized as benign on B-mode ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, MRI, or biopsy may be needed.
Sonography Term