Outcome of hepatic nodules less than 10 mm in size detected by ultrasonography in patients with chronic liver disease

The number of hepatic nodules detected by ultrasonography in patients with chronic liver disease has increased. Although it potentially is important to understand the outcome of small solitary hepatic nodules, they have not been fully investigated. In this study, we evaluated retrospectively the outcome of 35 solitary hepatic nodules smaller than 10 mm in 35 patients with chronic liver disease. The follow-up period ranged from 24 to 94 months, and, during follow-up, 8 of 35 nodules (23%) increased in size, 17 nodules (49 %) showed no change, and 10 nodules (29%) disappeared. It took less than 12 months for 5 nodules to increase in size, and less than 24 months for 3 nodules. There was no significant difference between the ultrasonographic findings (echogenicity and size) of the nodules and their outcome. We conclude that follow-up observation of at least 24 months is essential to evaluate the outcome of solitary hepatic nodules.