Clinical Use of Hounsfield Units

Parameter / HU Threshold	Key Interpretation	Example Cases
Fat: –120 to –30 HU	Confirms fat content in lesion	Lipoma, adrenal adenoma, angiomyolipoma, fat-containing teratoma, fatty liver
Fluid: ~0 HU	Simple fluid density	Simple cyst, CSF, ascites, seroma
Soft tissue: +20 to +80 HU	Typical for most solid organs/tumors	Muscle, lymph node, liver, spleen, thyroid nodule, solid ovarian tumor
Calcification: >150 HU	Indicates calcium deposit	Kidney stone, gallstone, atherosclerosis, meningioma calcification, healed granuloma, chronic pancreatitis calcifications
Acute blood: +60 to +90 HU	Suggests acute hemorrhage	Intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma (acute), splenic rupture, acute intramuscular bleed

Fat: –120 to –30 HU

Confirms fat content in lesion

Examples

Lipoma, adrenal adenoma, angiomyolipoma, fat-containing teratoma, fatty liver

Fluid: ~0 HU

Simple fluid density

Examples

Simple cyst, CSF, ascites, seroma

Soft tissue: +20 to +80 HU

Typical for most solid organs/tumors

Examples

Muscle, lymph node, liver, spleen, thyroid nodule, solid ovarian tumor

Calcification: >150 HU

Indicates calcium deposit

Examples

Kidney stone, gallstone, atherosclerosis, meningioma calcification, healed granuloma, chronic pancreatitis calcifications

Acute blood: +60 to +90 HU

Suggests acute hemorrhage

Examples

Intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma (acute), splenic rupture, acute intramuscular bleed