Gallbladder fossa nodularity in the liver typically observed in patients with alcoholic liver disease; comparison with chronic hepatitis C patients

Background and purpose Gallbladder fossa nodularity (GBFN) is often observed in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and we hypothesized this may be due to the cholecystic venous drainage (CVD), sparing this area from portal perfusion containing alcohol absorbed in the alimentary tract, and also escaping from alcohol-induced fibrotic and atrophic change of the liver parenchyma. The purpose of this study is to verify our hypothesis, using chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients as a control. Materials and methods Between 2013 and 2017, consecutive 45 ALD and 46 CHC patients who had contrast-enhanced CT were retrospectively recruited. Those who had interventions or disease involvement around gallbladder fossa were excluded. All CT images, and angiography-assisted CT(ang-CT) images , when available, were reviewed. GBFN was subjectively classified into grades 0–3, depending upon the conspicuity of nodularity, which was compared between the groups, and was also correlated to various clinicoradiological factors, including the alcohol consumption grades (ACG). Results GBFN was more frequently observed in ALD than in CHC patients, and higher grade GBFN was associated with ALD rather than CHC (all p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis revealed independently significant factors related to GBFN grades were ACG and albumin–bilirubin grades. Ang-CT images were available in 11 patients, all of whom exhibited portal perfusion diminishment and faint arterial enhancement, suggesting CVD, at the region of GBFN. When GBFN grade 3 was considered to discriminate ALD from CHC, the value of sensitivity/specificity/accuracy is 9%/100%/55%. Conclusion GBFN may represent spared liver tissue from alcohol-containing portal venous perfusion due to CVD, which may serve as an adjunctive sign of ALD or alcohol overconsumption with high specificity, but low sensitivity. Graphical abstract