Diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver: pitfalls in computed tomography diagnosis.

The presence of a fatty liver often complicates the interpretation of abdominal computed tomography (CT). Abnormalities in or adjacent to the liver, including dilated bile ducts, liver masses and subphrenic collections, may be masked by the fatty liver. Furthermore, normal structures may simulate pathological conditions. Five cases are presented to illustrate some of these diagnostic pitfalls.