Title: Evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differential diagnosis of liver tumors
Abstract: Objective: The usefulness of three phases of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) for differential diagnosis of liver tumors was investigated. Methods: Sixty-five lesions were examined by CEUS. There were 42 cases of HCC, 12 ofadenomatous hyperplasia (AH), 4 of metastatic liver tumor (Meta), 4 of liver hemangiona, and 3 of FNH. The apparatuses used were GE LOGIQ 700 and LOGIQ 7, and lesions were observed using Coded Harmonic Angio (CHA) or TruAgent Detection (TAD). One vial of 300 mg/ml of Levovist was intravenously injected, and real-time tumor blood flow was observed during the early phase for about 40 seconds after injection, then tumor stain was imaged by 1-second intermittent transmission. Observation was temporarily suspended, and sweep scan of the liver including lesions was performed in the late phase until 1–3 minutes and in the delayed phase 5 minutes after injection. Results: In all HCC lesions, tumor blood flow and tumor staining were observed during the early phase. Staining disappeared or was weaker than the surrounding liver parenchyma in 34 lesions in the late phase and 41 in the delayed phase. In AH lesions, staining intensity was weaker than that in the surrounding liver tissue in nine lesions, but three lesions showed staining similar to the liver tissues in the early phase. In the late and delayed phases, staining of all lesions was similar to that of the surrounding liver tissue. In Meta, ring-like staining was observed in 3 lesions, and 1 lesion was completely stained in the early phase. In the late and delayed phases, weaker staining than the surrounding parenchyma or no staining was observed in all lesions. In liver hemangioma lesions, the fill-in pattern, in which staining expanded from around the lesion toward the center, was observed in 3 lesions in the early to late phase. One lesion was stained ring-shape in the early phase, but no staining was observed in the late or delayed phase. Among FNH lesions, inflow radial vessels and whole staining were observed in all 3 lesions in the early phase. In the late phase, staining similar to the surrounding liver was observed in two lesions, but intense staining was observed in one lesion. Conclusions: CEUS is useful for differential diagnosis of liver tumors.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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