Hepatitis B virus infection is a worldwide health problem and is particularly prevalent in the San Francisco Bay Area. Infection with the hepatitis B virus occurs through both the sharing of body fluids such as blood, as well as through vertical transmission from mother to child. Left untreated, infection with hepatitis B over many years can lead to liver damage as well as cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma.
When people with hepatitis B develop liver tumors, they often have no symptoms. Therefore, imaging is crucial for monitoring infected patients for early signs of liver cancer. In the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, patients with hepatitis B are initially screened for liver tumors using ultrasound, followed by CT and MRI if anything suspicious is found. UCSF radiologists perform screening both at the main UCSF Health Hospitals as well as at the
