Von Meyenburg's complexes are not rare histological entities; their histological features have been well described. However, their sonographic features have, until now, been rarely mentioned.
We describe 2 cases of histologically confirmed von Meyenburg's complexes, in which sonography revealed multiple small cysts in the liver, accompanied by comet-tail artifacts. When such artifacts are observed in the liver, the possibility of von Meyenburg's complexes must be taken into account.
CASE REPORTS Case 1
A 70-year-old man was referred to Akita Medical Center for further evaluation of a gastric tumor detected in a gastric mass survey. He had no symptoms, and his medical history, physical examination, and abdominal radiograph were normal. Laboratory data, including liver functions, were also normal. Sonography and abdominal computed tomography (CT) were performed as a routine preoperative examination for cancer.
Sonography (Aloka SSD 650 scanner; 5.0-MHz transducer) revealed multiple echogenic areas and numerous small hepatic cysts (1 mm to 5 mm in diameter), with or without comet-tail artifacts over the whole liver (Figure 1). A part of these cysts were situated around the intrahepatic portal vein, which suggested a close relationship between these cysts and the biliary tracts. A solid mass was not observed, and intrahepatic bile ducts were not dilated. There were no cysts in the pancreas nor the kidneys.