← All Phases

Phase 4: Insights from Similar Cases

Insight-Enriched Retrieval
Liver CDS — Clinical Decision Support
Top-5 Similar Historical Cases
Insight-enriched ranking active
Detailed Findings from Cases with Corrected Diagnoses
CASE-2023-047: Diagnosis Corrected — Washout Initially Overlooked, Confirmed HCC

Case Summary

A 58-year-old male with HCV cirrhosis presented with a 2.1 cm lesion in hepatic segment VII. The lesion showed arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) but the washout on portal venous phase was subtle and initially overlooked. The case was classified as LI-RADS 3 (indeterminate). Follow-up pathology confirmed HCC, leading to reclassification as LI-RADS 5.

Outcome: 3-month delay in treatment initiation.

Features Initially Overlooked

  • Subtle washout on portal venous phase (hypointensity relative to background liver)
  • Partial enhancing capsule on delayed phase (visible on only one slice)
  • Mild restricted diffusion on DWI (not reviewed in initial reading)

Relevance to Current Case

  • Similar lesion size and location (Segment VII, 2.3 cm vs 2.1 cm)
  • Same clinical background: HCV cirrhosis, elevated AFP
  • Comparable arterial phase hyperenhancement pattern
  • Portal venous phase shows possible subtle washout — warrants careful review
Key Lesson: In cirrhotic livers, subtle washout on the portal venous phase can be easily overlooked, especially for lesions near hepatic veins where flow artifacts may mimic or obscure washout. Consider side-by-side windowing of arterial and portal venous phases, and review coronal reformats.
CASE-2023-112: Diagnosis Corrected — Atypical Hemangioma Initially Classified as Probable HCC

Case Summary

A 55-year-old female with NASH cirrhosis had a 1.8 cm lesion showing a flash-fill arterial enhancement pattern, initially interpreted as APHE suspicious for HCC. Classified as LI-RADS 4. Subsequent biopsy revealed cavernous hemangioma.

Outcome: Unnecessary percutaneous biopsy performed.

Key Distinguishing Feature

  • Hemangioma: progressive centripetal fill-in on delayed phase (not washout)
  • HCC: washout on portal venous/delayed phase
  • Flash-fill hemangiomas show peripheral nodular enhancement (not diffuse APHE)
Key Lesson: Atypical hemangiomas with flash-fill enhancement can mimic HCC on the arterial phase. The critical differentiator is the delayed phase: hemangiomas show progressive fill-in while HCC shows washout. Always evaluate delayed phase images before classifying arterial-enhancing lesions.
Feature Comparison: Query vs. Cases with Corrected Diagnoses
Feature CASE-2024-089 (Query) CASE-2023-047 (Corrected) CASE-2023-112 (Corrected)
Age / Sex62M58M55F
EtiologyHCV CirrhosisHCV CirrhosisNASH Cirrhosis
Lesion Size2.3 cm2.1 cm1.8 cm
SegmentVIIVIIVI
AFP87 ng/mL (elevated)52 ng/mL (elevated)6 ng/mL (normal)
APHEPresentPresentFlash-fill pattern
Portal VenousAmbiguousSubtle washout (overlooked)Progressive fill-in
Delayed PhasePending reviewCapsule (overlooked initially)Continued fill-in
Initial DxLR-3LR-3 → LR-5 (HCC)LR-4 → Hemangioma
Clinical Impact Metrics — Current Month
12
Cases Enriched
With insights from similar cases
8
Found Useful
67% usefulness rate
3
Assessments Refined
Based on case insights
4.2 min
Avg Time Saved
Per enriched case
Insight Categories
Insight TypeCategoryCasesLevelHistorical Frequency
Benign/malignant distinctionInterpretation8IMPORTANT~12% in atypical lesions
Subtle washout patternsPerception14IMPORTANT~18% for subtle washout
LI-RADS category refinementInterpretation11NOTE~15% inter-reader variation
Capsule appearance recognitionPerception6NOTE~20% for partial capsules
Small satellite lesionsPerception5NOTE~25% for lesions <1 cm
Vascular invasion indicatorsPerception3IMPORTANT~10% early-stage
Recognized Patterns
PatternRiskCorrection RateCasesRecommendation
Small lesion + ambiguous enhancement High ~30%18 Assess all LI-RADS features; consider follow-up
Cirrhotic liver + lesion near major vessel Medium ~15%9 Verify focus on lesion, not vessel artifact
Post-TACE/ablation + new enhancing area High ~25%7 Compare with pre-treatment imaging
Atypical hemangioma (flash-fill) Medium ~20%5 Confirm delayed phase fill-in pattern
Multiple lesions, different morphology Medium ~20%4 Evaluate each lesion independently
System Learning — Continuous Improvement
47
Cases with Corrected Diagnoses Catalogued
218
Supplementary Learning Scenarios
5
Active Insight Patterns
Corrected-Diagnosis Cases Catalogued Over Time
Clinician Usefulness Rating (%)
Insight Patterns Discovered
Monthly: Cases Enriched vs. Assessments Refined
Recent Clinician Feedback
DateCaseInsightUsefulClinician Note
2024-11-08CASE-2024-083Subtle washout insight Yes Prompted me to re-examine PVP. Found subtle washout I initially overlooked.
2024-11-06CASE-2024-081Benign/malignant distinction Yes Changed my assessment from LR-3 to LR-4 after reviewing the similar corrected case.
2024-11-05CASE-2024-079Capsule appearance No Capsule was clearly visible in my read. Insight was not relevant for this case.
2024-11-03CASE-2024-076Satellite lesion pattern Yes Found a 7 mm satellite lesion on re-review. Changed treatment plan.
2024-11-01CASE-2024-074Subtle washout insight Yes Helpful context. The historical case details were highly relevant.