Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of small hepatic lesions Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Objective: To observe the characteristics of small hepatic lesions 3 cm) with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and evaluate the role of CEUS on the diagnosis of small liver neoplasms. Methods: The appearances on CEUS of 136 patients with 156 lesions were studied retrospectively, including 74 malignant cases and 82 benign ones. The time-intensity curve (TIC) of 142 lesions was obtained with computer-assisted software. The characteristics and the parameters of TIC were analyzed correlated with pathological findings. Results: Enhancement was found on 146 cases except necrosis nodus and postoperative scars. All (49 cases) the hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) enhanced in arterial phase, 71.43% (35/49) of them enhanced globally. In parenchymal phase, 85.71% (42/49) presented as black hol. Typical thick-ringed enhancement was found on 52.00% (13/25) of the metastases in arterial phase and 88.00% (22/25) of them showed as black hol in parenchymal phase. Of benign lesions enhancement can be global (48.61%), patchy (18.06%) and ringed (33.33%) in "arterial phase. In parenchymal phase, the proportion of "black hole" sign was 1.39%, with 30.56% lower than and 68.06% similar to the liver parenchyma. The appearances of inflammatory pseudotumor and angiomyolipomas on CEUS were rapid wash-in and wash-out, similar to malignant lesions. The acoustic quantified parameters of TIC including the time to arrival, time of enhancement and peak time in benign lesions were significantly later than those of the malignant lesions. The difference of the peak intensities between the two groups was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference between primary hepatic carcinomas and metastases. The above mentioned parameters of inflammatory pseudotumor and angiomyolipomas were earlier than those of other benign lesions. Conclusion: CEUS has an important clinical value in qualitative diagnosis of liver lesions. The appearances of some benign lesions are atypical, further diagnosis depends on other imageology technique or needle biopsy.

published proceedings

  • Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy

author list (cited authors)

  • Wang, F., Li, K. Y., Deng, Y., Xu, F., Luo, H. C., Chen, Y. C., & Hong, K.

complete list of authors

  • Wang, F||Li, KY||Deng, Y||Xu, F||Luo, HC||Chen, YC||Hong, K

publication date

  • May 2009