Although the diagnosis of diffuse hepatic disease has traditionally been made by laboratory examination or liver biopsy, cross-sectional image can aid in the diagnosis and characterization of diffuse diseases. Imaging can be used to determine the cause of diffuse hepatocellular disease in many instances, and in others can be used to assess the extent of cirrhosis and associated secondary changes of portal hypertension. In patients with end-stage liver disease, imaging is essential in evaluating for development of complications of cirrhosis, such as portal vein thrombosis, and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Diffuse hepatocellular diseases that can be further evaluated with CT scan and MR imaging include cirrhosis; iron overload; Wilson's disease; Budd-Chiari syndrome; fatty change; neoplastic diseases, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, metastases, and lymphoma; sarcoidosis; amyloidosis; and schistosomiasis. In certain instances, the specificity of findings on CT scan or MR imaging is sufficient to obviate the need for histologic examination.