Accumulation of technetium-99m sulfur colloid by hepatocellular adenoma: Scintigraphic-pathologic correlation

It is currently believed that hepatocellular adenoma is photon deficient on technetium-99m sulfur colloid scintigraphy because these tumors lack Kupffer cells. In a retrospective review of 13 pathologically proven cases of hepatocellular adenoma with technetium-99m sulfur colloid scintigrams, Kupffer cells were present in all 13 cases. We observed uptake of the radiocolloid by the hepatocellular adenoma in three cases (23%), and there were no histologic differences between the tumors with uptake and the ones without it. We conclude that the currently accepted reason for the lack of technetium-99m sulfur colloid uptake within hepatocellular adenoma is incorrect, and an explanation other than a lack of Kupffer cells is responsible for the photon-deficient appearance in the majority of cases of hepatocellular adenoma. Further, because hepatocellular adenoma may have technetium-99m sulfur colloid uptake in a significant percentage of cases, it should be added to focal nodular hyperplasia in the differential diagnosis of a hepatic mass with uptake by technetium-99m sulfur colloid.