Any doctors around? How fucked am I?

[Metabolicallycomplicated]

I had an MRI on my liver due to some lesions found on a totally unrelated ultrasound. They suspected NAFLD given my weight etc but instead They’ve found something more worrying, but the GP I spoke to couldn’t give me a straight answer as to what the MRI report means. Is this most likely benign or most likely not? GP treated me like I was going to crumble but I’m a very pragmatic person, I just need to understand what I’m looking at here.

Im 33, I have a 2 year old DS and I just need to know how worried I need to be here instead of waiting another few weeks for the next MRI and results from that. If I’ve got liver cancer I know how bad that is and I need to start getting ducks lined up and quacking sooner rather than later.

So if you’re a doctor/ medical and you read the below report, what would you be thinking? You can be honest, I’m completely aware no one can diagnose me from the below, I just need probabilities and ballparks.

Also I have no symptoms of anything liver related, my initial ultrasound was for endometrial hyperplasia.

I’ve read that as you have stones in bile duct which commonly can cause liver scarring

Could be, I don’t have a gallbladder anymore but do still form stones which is as annoying as it sounds.

Would scarring typically image like that?

I would think that you need further investigations first. What did the GP say/do?

The MRI people have recalled me for an urgent contrast MRI, should get an appointment through in the next few days

After having my gallbladder out.. they left some stones in my bile duct that got infected which caused liver Abcesses / lesions.. l was on an IV antibiotics for 3 weeks..
They were going to drain..
But another MRI showed they had shrunk..
I have annual one now but been fine ever since..
I'm almost sure it's bile/ bile ducts that caused it.

I do still get gallbladder attacks occasionally which is very annoying. ‘Organised sludge’ sounds intriguing, anyone she’d any light?

Sludge usually refers to stones in the gallbladder which are so tiny they don't look separate on a scan, but like one clump of muck. I've got gallbladder sludge. The fact it says ? calculus means I think they suspect gallstones. (I'm not a doctor)
Hope you get an answer quickly.

Hi. I'm a radiologist.

Really sorry you're going through such a worrying time, you must just want answers. Obviously I can't see your images but what the radiologist has got across in their report is that the appearances are non specific and it isn't possible to categorise them until you've had contrast.

There really is no way of knowing either way until the radiologist can assess what happens to the lesions when contrast is given. What I would say is that the sludge in your bile duct is likely to be completely separate and not related to the lesions.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but do keep us updated.

Oh, just seen you don't have your GB.
Presumably the sludge is in the duct?

Well, I don’t think they’ll be able to tell until they’ve looked more closely but the differential diagnosis is listed - adenoma (benign tumours) / metastasis (secondary cancerous tumours) / haemangioma (benign vascular tumour, basically like a strawberry birthmark). It doesn’t mention scar tissue, though it also sounds like you might have a clogged bile duct/stones.

Could easily be totally benign llthings there forever - fact you are well is good news! They need to exclude serious things with a more detailed scan but likely nothing serious

Thank you, this is really very helpful. I’m guessing they’ll send through an appointment for another scan fairly urgently? Or is this not that time precious?

It doesn't state "possible carcinoma" so I don't think it's suspected cancer.

Yes this should be urgent. If it were me I'd phone the radiology appointments line and check whether it has been put through as urgent and tell them you'd be willing to take a cancellation appointment at short notice (if indeed you are able to do that).

I see your ultrasound was in September, so there's been a bit of a gap between the 2 scans - it isnt easy to compare the two scans but I would say the fact the radiologist hasn't mentioned any dramatic increase in size and number of lesions is something hopeful, I'd expect metastases to have progressed between September and January.

The report says the gallbladder ‘appears normal’, but you say you’ve had it removed? Hope they haven’t muddled up some results🤔

Would agree with this.

Would the radiographer see my previous ultrasound?

Yes I thought that! I suspect it’s a standard phrase they write and they forgot to omit gallbladder from it

That's a really good point, @Brideshead64 ! I really hope it's something benign OP.

I had similar OP. From memory the possibilities were - cysts, focal nodule hyperplasia, hemangioma, least likely - cancer.

In my case it was a nontypical hemangioma.

If you don’t have any concerning symptoms - pain, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, fatigue I wouldn’t be too worried.

Though they do mention metastases which is very much cancer…

Most radiology reports use euphemisms. “Multiple suspicious lesions”, in this case. Doesn’t mean it actually is cancer, but they are saying it could potentially be.

No report would say “this is cancer”, they do not commit to a diagnosis like that! The most I have seen is “appearances would be most consistent with xx cancer, clinical correlation advised”.

Yes radiologist would see previous imaging.