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Posted 10/11/2013 6:02 PM (GMT 0)

I wasn't sure what topic to post this under, as there is no specific topic for "liver disease."

 

I recently had an ultrasound and MRI to rule out a hernia due to upper quadrant pain (turns out I did not have one); however, a 2cm "nodule" was detected in the right lobe of my liver, as well as a cyst on the left lobe and a cyst on my kidney.  My primary care provider seemed pretty nonchalant about the reading, although the radiologist suggested I undergo a liver protocol imaging (MRI), which I will have in a few days, to check for additional lesions.

 

Has anyone else experienced such findings?

Posted 10/11/2013 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
hi loreal, welcome and you are in the right place. we discuss all liver disease here. first, let me say how sorry i am you had to find us. our moderators will be along soon. as they better explain this procedure. best to you
barry
Posted 10/11/2013 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Loreal, hi, and welcome to the forum. If I had my way, I would change it to Liver Disease instead of Hepatitis. ..but it's not my call. Anyway, the cysts are nothing to worry about and are best left alone and occasionally monitored. The 2-cm nodule is small. However, an abdominal MRI with Gadolinium contrast will rule out or affirm liver cancer. How are your liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and bili?) Have you had an Alfa fetoprotein (AFP) done? If any of these are elevated, it's possible that you have liver disease and that the nodule could be cancerous. Do you have any possible risk factors for liver disease, such as hepatitis B or C, autoimmune hepatitis, or alcoholic liver disease?

Do come back with the results of your MRI. And please do post in black...much easier to read.

Best of luck!

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 10/12/2013 2:19 AM (GMT 0)

Hello Connie and Barry,

First and foremost, thank you for the reply!  May I ask if you are in the medical field and what your credentials are?

My liver enzymes are normal and I do not have any risk factors, such as you mention (hepatitis or alcoholic liver disease).  I'm not sure if my PCP ordered an AFP at the time my liver enzymes were checked.  I'll have to ask her about it, as she made no mention of it.

I am having an abdominal MRI w and w/o contrast on Monday.  How does the MRI differ from the CT scan and US?  The CT did not pick up the liver nodule, but the US did and vice-versa, the CT picked up a cyst; whereby, the US did not.  How can they differ so much?  Also, what's the difference between a "nodule" and "lesion" in the medical arena?

Thanks for any feedback.

Loreal

Posted 10/12/2013 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
No one here are doctors. Most have hands on experience with the disease and have spent a lot of time researching into things. You will find a vast amount of knowledge from patients and caregivers here.
Posted 10/12/2013 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Connie will be back to post more as well. I did want to post that MRI's are the gold standard and provide the best image qualities.

I had several things that were missed with US and CT scan, but the MRI caught them clear as day.

US and CT are great for some things, but MRI will give the best images to be viewed.
Posted 10/12/2013 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
CT scans expose you to a lot of radiation. An MRI is the best way to check for nodules or lesions.
Posted 10/12/2013 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
Loreal, to qualify myself, I was a medical transcriptionist for 15 years, doing everything from ER reports to pediatric patients with multiple handicaps, GI, cardiology, nephrology, etc. In my training, we learned about body systems and diseases affecting them, including the terminology. Of course, my experience actually working taught me more than anything in a classroom. And my personal experience with liver disease, starting with my diagnosis of hep C in '93 through many surgeries, liver cancer twice, liver transplant, and many complications in the 2 yrs. since then, has taught me much more. It's ongoing, so I am constantly learning. The people on this forum have taught me more than I've taught them.

An MRI with Gadolinium contrast will instantly detect cancer as the area will "light up like a Christmas tree" as was explained to me. This eliminates the need for a biopsy to detect cancer, which is the concern. However, since you apparently have no risk factors for liver disease, the nodule has a better chance of being harmless.

In the medical jargon, "lesion" is used to describe an area that is somewhat vague, but abnormal. "Nodule" is more defined. As has been stated, CT and ultrasound have their places, but MRI with contrast is the next step in ruling out cancer.

If you have further questions, feel free to ask. Someone here should be able to answer.

P.S. Thanks for posting in black. ;)

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 10/12/2013 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
Loreal,

You made me chuckle because I don't know many doctors that sit around forums waiting to give free support and advice.  They often come up with the same diagnosis for a patient, but it's folks like us that go beyond the textbook and give you valuable insights, advice, and support that you just don't get in the exam room.  You can only get that from suffering through it yourself, or via a loved one.

So welcome to the forum and I hope you find all the answers you need.  Weekends are a tad slow sometimes, but eventually your post will be read many, as we are a very active forum here.

You may try using the "search" function to scour past threads.  Good luck to you.

Posted 10/12/2013 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to everyone for their input. Looking back, that was a silly question to Connie! I worked in the medical field for 20 years and was a medical transcriptionist for a short while, as well, but not nearly as well versed as Connie. I, too, learned so much from just being in the medical arena, then I would have ever learned from a text book!

I hate the word c****r and even have a difficult time looking at the word. This whole ordeal threw me for a loop since I consider myself to be very healthy.

Thanks again!

Loreal
Posted 10/12/2013 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Loreal, hello, fellow transcriptionist! I worked for 9 yrs. in medical offices and for several months onsite at a service that did nothing but ER reports for Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Then I started working from home...the first year doing nothing but ER reports. Amazing the cases that come through the ER. You learn a lot from that. Then, the ensuing years, I worked from home for transcription services in VT and TN. You have to know your stuff or learn it quickly, as there is nobody to ask anything. I loved the work, but was unable to continue because of the overwhelming fatigue from hep C and difficulty sitting for long periods, due to botched hip replacements. So I was approved for disability in 2005. The people here, especially ppmguy (Barry) keep me in the loop with what's new in the liver disease area, and I do my own research, also.

I'm betting you are still healthy. Don't fret about the nodule. My guess is that it's nothing serious. But you will soon know for sure. Please do come back and let us know the results of your MRI. My thoughts will be with you.

Wishing you all the best!

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 10/12/2013 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Connie! Sometimes I think reading too much on the internet brings on anxiety!

The interesting thing about my CT scan is no abnormality was seen to correspond to the 2 cm lesion seen by US.

Why is it the CT report states "lesion" while the US states "nodule." Is there a difference? The US report states, "2 cm hypoechoic noncystic lesion with no significant color Doppler signal. The appearance is nonspecific but the lesion warrants further evaluation." What does all that mean?

Loreal
Posted 10/12/2013 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
hi loreal, i have no credentials. what i do is help patients understand what their docs are telling them, to help them understand their tests reading lab reports. i believe that not understanding what has happened and what will happen will lead to unnecessary anxiety. we also sopport each other unconditionally. when somones back is against the wall, we all get to work.
barry
Posted 10/13/2013 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
Loreal, what you last posted is a little confusing and contradictory. You say that the US says "lesion" but prior to that you state it says "nodule." Either way, it's not normal and requires further investigation, thus the f/u with the MRI with contrast. I have no idea what the cause of this is, since you don't have risk factors for liver disease. However, you should be having a f/u appt. with the doctor who ordered the MRI to discuss the findings and future plan. If the C word is not involved, he will probably just want to monitor it with an annual or bi-annual MRI or CT/US.

You can get some misinformation on the Internet, so it's really best to hold off from further searches until after you know what's going on. When you do search, visit reputable sites like the American Liver Foundation, NIH, or Mayo's site.

Hugs,
Connie
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