Characterization of Malignant Portal Vein Thrombosis with Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography

We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for differentiation of benign versus malignant portal vein thrombosis (PVT). We studied a total of 43 patients with chronic liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma-suggestive nodules and confirmed PVT, in whom the nature of the PVT was confirmed by follow-up imaging (US, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging) performed up to 6 mo after CEUS. PVT was assessed by US, Doppler US and CEUS with respect to vessel wall disruption and/or invasion, color Doppler vascularization, pulsed Doppler vascularization pattern and CEUS enhancement and vascularization pattern, and thrombi were classified as benign or malignant based on these findings. Follow-up studies revealed malignant PVT in 22 of the 43 patients (51%) and benign PVT in 21 patients (49%). CEUS findings were consistent with follow-up studies in 41 of the 43 patients (95%), with κ?=?0.903 (p < 0.0001), sensitivity?=?91% and specificity?=?100%, indicating that CEUS can be confidently used to differentiate benign from malignant portal vein thrombosis in the setting of chronic liver disease.     

彩色多普勒血流显像及超声造影鉴别诊断门静脉良恶性栓子

目的 探讨CDFI及CEUS鉴别诊断门静脉良恶性栓子的价值.方法 回顾性分析33例门静脉栓塞患者门静脉栓子的CDFI及CEUS灌注表现,包括门静脉癌栓23例,血栓10例.结果 23例癌栓中,完全填充17例,部分填充6例;10例血栓中,完全填充3例,部分填充7例.癌栓完全填充率高于血栓完全填充率(P=0.026),表明门静脉癌栓以完全填充为主,血栓以部分填充为主.CDFI显示癌栓自肝内向肝外生长多见,回声较强且不均匀;血栓则相反,且多见于脾切除后、肝硬化等患者.CEUS示门静脉癌栓均呈“快进快出”表现,而血栓内始终未见造影剂填充.结论 CDFI对定性诊断门静脉栓子具有一定价值;CEUS对鉴别门静脉血栓及癌栓有较高价值.     

Characterization of portal vein thrombus with the use of contrast-enhanced sonography.

OBJECTIVES: To select an appropriate treatment regimen, it is essential to accurately characterize the nature of a thrombus. This study prospectively assessed the ability of contrast-enhanced sonography to differentiate between benign and malignant portal vein thrombosis in a population of high-risk patients. METHODS: Fifty-five patients (43 men and 12 women; mean age, 66 years; range, 55-83 years) with thrombi of the portal venous system were examined by power Doppler sonography and contrast-enhanced sonography with the intravenous contrast agent SH U 508A (Levovist; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany). Of the thrombi, 40 were characterized as malignant and 15 as benign. Pulsatile flow in the thrombus on power Doppler sonography and positive enhancement of the thrombus on contrast-enhanced sonography were judged as indications of a malignant thrombus. The sensitivity and specificity of both methods in differentiating the nature of the thrombus were evaluated. RESULTS: The detection of pulsatile flow in a portal vein thrombus as the criterion for diagnosing malignant portal vein thrombus yielded overall sensitivity of 82.5% and specificity of 100%, whereas positive enhancement of the portal vein thrombus itself as a criterion for diagnosing malignancy yielded overall sensitivity and specificity of 100% for each. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced sonography can be helpful in discriminating between benign and malignant portal vein thrombi.     

Differentiating malignant from benign thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Background

To determine the accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differentiating malignant and benign venous thrombosis complicating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Fifty patients (M:F = 41:9; age range 46–83 years) with HCC and venous thrombosis [portal vein (PV) in 45 and hepatic vein (HV) in 5] detected on CT or MR scan were evaluated with CEUS. Reference standard of malignant and benign thrombosis was based on serial clinicoradiologic follow-up (n = 43) or pathology (n = 7). Two independent, blinded readers retrospectively recorded the enhancement features of the venous thrombosis and diagnosed as benign or malignant thrombosis with a five-point confidence scale. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to determine the diagnostic performance of CEUS in differentiating malignant from benign thrombosis. Confidence level ratings were also used to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for the diagnosis of malignant thrombosis. Inter-reader agreement was calculated using κ statistics in each assessed finding. Gray scale and Doppler characteristics of primary tumor and thrombosis were also assessed.

Results

Of the 50 patients, 37 were malignant (33 with PV thrombosis and 4 with HV thrombosis) and 13 were benign (12 with PV thrombosis and 1 with HV thrombosis). In ROC curve analysis for differentiating malignant from benign thrombosis, Az was 0.947 (CI 0.841–0.991) for reader 1 and 0.958 (CI 0.861–0.995) for reader 2 with excellent inter-reader agreement (κ = 0.86). When the confidence level ratings of 1 or 2 were considered malignant thrombosis, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in differentiating malignant from benign thrombosis were 100%, 83%, 95%, and 100% for reader 1 and 100%, 92%, 97%, and 100% for reader 2.

Conclusion

CEUS is useful to differentiate malignant and benign venous thrombosis associated with HCC with high diagnostic accuracy.     

超声造影、常规超声、增强CT鉴别诊断门静脉癌栓与血栓的比较

目的 比较超声造影(CEUS)、常规超声(B型超声+彩色多普勒超声)和增强CT(CTP)定性诊断门静脉栓子的准确性.方法 回顾性分析经手术或临床确诊的43例门静脉栓子的常规超声、CEUS和CTP图像资料,比较3种手段对门静脉栓子的定性诊断准确性.结果 常规超声、CEUS和CTP定性诊断门静脉栓子的符合率分别为60.5％、100％和76.7％,3种方法两两比较差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 CEUS可以准确鉴别门静脉癌栓与血栓,较目前临床常用的常规超声和CTP更为准确,值得推广应用.     

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of portal vein thrombi as a diagnostic and staging technique for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Detection of portal vein tumor invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is important in determining therapy and prognosis. Patients with portal vein thrombus (PVT) due to tumor are considered to have advanced disease and are only offered palliative therapy. Therefore, every possible attempt should be made to accurately differentiate benign from malignant PVT.

Methods

In this study, 20 patients presenting to the out-patient department with a PVT and a diagnosis/diagnostic suspicion of HCC were subjected to FNAC of PVT. Clinical, cytological, and histopathological data for these patients were analyzed.

Results

The patients had a median age of 58 years, with majority being cirrhotic (80%) and males (80%). Thirteen patients had a prior radiological diagnosis of HCC at the time of FNAC. In three patients without any mass on imaging, FNAC made the initial diagnosis and staged the disease simultaneously. 50% of the thrombi were limited to 1st-order portal vein branches (vp3). Sixteen of the aspirates were positive for malignancy with 50% of the tumors being moderately differentiated. On histologic follow-up, three of the patients with negative aspirates had bland thrombi in their portal veins. No complications resulted from the procedure.

Conclusions

FNAC of PVT is a simple, safe, effective, well-tolerated, and economical method for staging of patients with HCC. When used as the initial diagnostic procedure, in selected patients, it can provide the diagnosis and staging information simultaneously.     

超声造影与彩色多普勒超声对肝实质性肿块诊断价值

目的比较彩色多普勒超声和实时超声造影在肝实质性肿块中的诊断价值。方法应用彩色多普勒超声及超声造影技术对常规二维超声难以定性的29例患者共33个肝实质性肿块进行检查,结果与手术及病理结果相对照。结果33个肿块中原发性肝细胞性肝癌24个,肝血管瘤3个,肝脏局灶性结节增生3个,局限性脂肪肝2个,肝孤立性坏死结节1个。彩色多普勒超声在肿块内部或肿块周边能检测到动脉血流频谱者共19例21个肿块;超声造影除一例肝孤立性坏死结节外,其余32个病灶均在不同时相出现不同程度强化现象。如以动脉相呈高回声而门脉相及延迟相呈低回声为恶性肿块的诊断标准,则超声造影对肝癌诊断的准确性为92%;如以肿块内部检测到动脉样血流频谱为诊断恶性肿块的诊断标准,则彩色多普勒超声诊断肝癌的准确性为75%,二者差别有显著性(P<0.05)。结论实时超声造影显著提高肝实质性肿块诊断的准确性,对肝脏实质性肿块良、恶性的诊断及鉴别诊断具有重要价值。     

Occult hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis: Value of ultrasound-guided biopsy of portal vein system thrombus

We report two cases of occult hepatocellular carcinoma associated with alcoholic cirrhosis, in which the diagnosis of malignancy was respectively established by ultrasound-guided biopsy of umbilical vein and portal vein branch thrombus. When measurement of serum alpha-foetoprotein, and liver ultrasonography and/or computed tomography failed to clearly demonstrate hepatocellular carcinoma, the presence of a thrombosis of the portal vein system is highly suggestive of malignancy, which may be easily confirmed by venous biopsy.     

Management of adenomatous hyperplastic nodules in the cirrhotic liver: US follow-up or percutaneous alcohol ablation?

In order to investigate the most appropriate management of adenomatous hyperplastic nodules in cirrhosis (AHNs), retrospective and prospective studies were undertaken. The retrospective study included 11 AHNs detected in nine patients, who were followed with ultrasonography (US) and fine-needle biopsy (FNB); seven of these lesions evolved into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after a mean follow-up period of 11.4 months. The prospective study involved 19 AHNs (in 12 patients) that were submitted to percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI); all lesions underwent necrosis at the dynamic computed tomographic (CT) examination and at multiple FNBs performed 1 month after the end of treatment. In four patients studied with magnetic resonance (MR), all treated lesions were markedly hypointense in the T2-weighted images. No complications occurred after a total number of 114 alcohol injections. No local recurrences were observed after a mean follow-up period of 16.9 months. PEI should therefore be considered mandatory in the management of AHNs.     

Role of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the assessment of metastatic portal vein thrombosis

Patients with liver disease or systemic pathology are more prone to develop portal vein thrombosis. Non-neoplastic thrombosis is characterised by absence of intrathrombotic perfusion, corresponding to marked hypoechogenicity at contrast-enhanced ultrasound. We report two cases of portal vein thrombosis in which contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed marked hypoechogenicity in the late phase. This late phase perfusional contrast pattern is consistent with non-neoplastic thrombosis, but is actually similar to that of metastatic liver lesions. Echo-guided needle biopsy indeed yielded histological results consistent with carcinoma. Repeated contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed presence of intratumoural perfusion in the arterial phase, suggestive of the neoplastic nature of the thrombus. Our cases suggest that CEUS with second generation contrast agents in patients with portal thrombosis should include the evaluation of both arterial and portal phases in order to provide accurate non-invasive diagnosis of metastatic portal vein thrombosis.     

Hepatocellular nodules in liver cirrhosis: contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using microbubble contrast agents has expanded the role of US in the diagnosis of liver nodules in high risk patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is typically characterized by arterial hypervascularity and later washout (negative enhancement). Washout in the portal phase is often not obvious until late (>90 s). Benign nodules such as regenerative nodules or dysplastic nodules are usually isoechoic or slightly hypoechoic in the arterial and portal venous phases. However, there are occasional cases with overlap of imaging features between benign and malignant nodules, including hypovascular HCC and hypervascular HCC without washout. CEUS is helpful to characterize potential mimickers of HCC on imaging such as nontumorous arterioportal shunt or hemangioma. CEUS is also useful for a guidance of percutaneous local therapy of HCC and post-procedure monitoring of therapeutic response. CEUS can be effectively used in the diagnostic algorithm of small (1–2 cm) newly detected nodules during HCC surveillance.     

肝细胞肝癌门静脉癌栓介入分型及其临床应用价值

目的:探讨适合指导介入治疗的肝细胞肝癌门静脉癌栓介入分型。方法:根据肝细胞肝癌合并门静脉癌栓患者的动态增强CT或MR影像学表现,将门静脉癌栓分为Ⅰ~Ⅴ共5型,包括Ⅰ型、Ⅱa型/Ⅱb型、Ⅲa型/Ⅲb型/Ⅲc型、Ⅳa型/Ⅳb型、Ⅴ型,其中将Ⅰ~Ⅳ型同时合并肝动脉门静脉瘘归为Ⅴ型。观察不同分型患者经肝动脉化疗栓塞(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)联合门静脉支架+放射性碘-125粒子条植入治疗的效果。结果:117例入选患者介入分型为Ⅰ型占10.2%(12/117)、Ⅱ型占17.1%(20/117)、Ⅲ型占53%(62/117)、Ⅳ型占19.6%(23/117)、Ⅴ型占16.2%(19/117)。所有患者均接受介入治疗,术后即刻造影显示,68例(93.1%)患者门静脉灌注明显改善。术后1~3个月增强MR/CT随访显示,植入碘-125粒子部位的癌栓均较术前明显萎缩,有效控制。结论:肝细胞肝癌合并门静脉癌栓的介入分型有助于指导临床制定个体化的介入治疗策略,使患者获益,值得临床推广。     

实时灰阶超声造影评价肝移植术前门脉系统栓子的价值

目的探讨实时灰阶超声造影在肝移植术前门脉系统栓子诊断及良恶性鉴别诊断中的价值。方法应用SonoVue造影剂及对比脉冲序列（CPS）技术对37例肝移植术前门脉系统栓子患者,共84条血管进行低机械指数实时灰阶超声造影检查。结果经过肝移植手术或螺旋CT门静脉成像证实,78条血管栓子形成（瘤栓50个,血栓28个）,6条血管通畅。超声造影诊断门脉系统栓子的敏感性98.7%,特异性100%,以栓子内动脉相早期造影剂灌注为标准,诊断门脉系统瘤栓的敏感性100%,特异性100%。结论实时灰阶超声造影可评价肝移植术前门脉系统的通畅性,提高栓子的检出率,并可鉴别栓子的良恶性,为肝移植手术方案的确定提供重要准确的信息。     

彩色多普勒超声对肝移植术后并发症的诊断价值

目的评价彩色多普勒超声对肝移植术后并发症的诊断价值。方法回顾性分析和总结26例肝移植术后并发症的彩色多普勒超声检查资料,检测指标包括肝动脉及左右分支的峰值速度（HAPV）、阻力指数（RI）、加速度及加速时间,门静脉平均流速,肝实质及胆管回声。结果6例经手术或造影证实为血管并发症（肝动脉血栓形成1例,肝动脉狭窄2例,肝动脉痉挛1例,门静脉狭窄2例）,彩色多普勒超声表现有肝动脉狭窄处的高速高阻血流并伴有湍流,而狭窄远端峰值速度〈40cm／s,RI〈0．5,加速时间〉0．08s,加速度〈300cm／s^2,1例肝动脉血栓形成肝门部无动脉血流信号;6例急性排斥反应,3例胆管结石并扩张。结论彩色多普勒超声对肝移植术后血管并发症的诊断具有重要的指导意义。     

肝癌血供灌注特征与个体化介入治疗相关性的超声造影研究

目的 探讨不同类型肝癌的血供特点及确立个体化介入治疗模式的价值.方法 对315例经病理证实的肝癌应用彩色多普勒超声(CDUS)及超声造影(CEUS)行血供灌注特征分析并分型,采用不同介入治疗技术建立合理有效的个体化联合治疗模式,并采用CEUS、增强CT(CECT)、数字减影血管造影(DSA)进行疗效评估.结果 CDUS及CEUS可判定肝癌血供特征并分型.根据CDUS及CEUS确定的肝癌血供特征建立个体化介入治疗模式并评估疗效:①肿瘤直径≤3 cm单发小肝癌组,直接行无水酒精瘤内注射术(PEI)、射频消融术(RF)或微波消融术(PMCT)治疗模式,肿瘤坏死率95.0%～97.9%,1、3年生存率分别为98.0%、87.8%.②肿瘤直径≤5 cm病灶≤3个肝癌组,行多点、多面RF/PMCT+PEI联合治疗模式,肿瘤坏死率93.7%～94.8%,1、3年生存率分别为89.8%、81.4%.③肿瘤直径＞5 cm以肝动脉为主多血供肝癌组,行肝动脉栓塞化疗术(TACE)+PEI+RF/PMCT联合治疗模式,肿瘤坏死率71.4%～73.8%,1、3年生存率分别为66.2%、47.6%.④肿瘤直径＞5 cm双重血供肝癌或合并门静脉癌栓组,在以上治疗基础上增加选择性门静脉栓塞化疗术(SPVE)治疗模式,肿瘤坏死率53.3%～55.6%,1、3年生存率分别为64.7%、40.0%.结论 根据CDUS和CEUS确定肝癌血供特征并建立个体化联合介入治疗模式,对非手术治疗肝癌具有重要的临床价值.     

Evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis by CEUS before and after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is a common complication of advanced HCC, and the prognosis of advanced HCC with PVTT is extremely poor. We report a case of HCC with PVTT evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) before and after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). A 59-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C was admitted to our hospital. CEUS clearly showed the thread and streaks sign in a solid lesion that occupied the right main branch of the portal vein. HAIC was performed, and CEUS after HAIC clearly showed disappearance of the thread and streaks sign. CEUS was very useful in diagnosing PVTT and in evaluating the effectiveness of HAIC in this case.     

门脉海绵样变的彩色多普勒超声诊断

目的：研究彩色多普勒在门脉海绵样变诊断中的应用,提高诊断的正确性。方法：对35例门静脉海绵燕变进行了彩色多普勒检查,先用两维图像显示肝门部结构、门脉主干及分支,以及周围侧枝血管回声,再用彩色多普勒显示血流方向、颜色。结果：根据形态学及超声表现可将门脉海绵样变分为三型：I型为肝外型;Ⅱ型为肝内型;Ⅲ型为肝内肝外型。门脉海绵样变的二维超声主要表现为：肝内外门静脉分支及主干狭窄或部分狭窄、闭塞,在其周围形成蜂窝状无回声区,门脉管壁回声增强,增厚,彩色多普勒超声显示血流呈红蓝相间,频谱多普勒显示门静脉血流呈毛刺状,为低速、平坦的血流流速曲线。结论：彩色多普勒血流显像对门脉海绵样变的诊断具有很高的准确性,是诊断门脉海绵样变的重要手段。     

肝局灶性病变超声造影诊断指标初探

目的 探讨适宜中国肝局灶性病变的超声造影诊断指标。方法 以注射造影剂后肝动脉开始显影作为动脉相的起始时间，以门静脉开始显影作为门脉相起始时间，以肝实质增强达峰值为实质相起始时间；分析682例肝局灶性病变超声造影肝动脉、门静脉的始增时间及肝实质的增强峰值时间、肝内病灶的开始减退时间，分析增强模式。结果 肝硬化与非肝硬化组肝动脉、门静脉及肝实质始增时间有显著差异，肝内良恶性病灶增强退出时间有显著差异。85％的原发性肝癌及99％肝转移癌在注射造影剂后180s内退出，故以180s作为延迟相起始时间及与实质相的划分点，由此将超声造影分为四个时相。结论 由于肝背景不同造成血流动力学差异，病灶增强时相以自身背景对比更为适宜；根据新的时相定义及病灶增强退出特征，总结出中国人肝癌及其他肝局灶性病变的超声造影诊断标准。     

超声造影、术中超声在肝移植术后血管并发症中的应用

目的探讨超声造影、术中超声在肝移植术后血管并发症中的诊断价值。方法对CDFI检查疑有肝动脉、门静脉及下腔静脉狭窄或血栓形成的9例患者进行超声造影检查,对疑有门静脉血栓的3例患者进行术中超声检查;检查结果与数字减影血管造影(DSA)进行对照分析。结果超声造影提示门静脉血栓形成3例,并经术中超声检查证实肝动脉血栓形成3例,下腔静脉狭窄1例,均经DSA证实。另2例超声造影提示肝动脉未见明显异常的患者中,1例DSA诊断为肝动脉狭窄,1例肝动脉无明显异常;超声造影诊断符合(7/9)。结论超声造影可确诊门静脉、肝动脉血栓,但对准确诊断肝动脉狭窄仍有一定困难。     

超声造影结合剪切波弹性成像对肝硬化背景下肝实质内良恶性结节诊断价值分析

目的：探讨超声造影（CEUS）结合剪切波弹性成像（SWE）对肝硬化背景下肝实质内良恶性结节诊断价值研究。方法：选择2019年1月至2021年2月本院收治的92例肝硬化合并肝实质内结节患者的临床资料，根据病理结果分为恶性组（52例）和良性组（40例）。所有患者术前均行CEUS、SWE检查，比较两组之间各参数的差异，并分析CEUS、SWE单独或联合诊断恶性结节的价值。结果：肝实质内结节动脉期、门脉期及延迟期的CEUS特征在恶性组与良性组之间差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05），其中恶性组肝实质内结节大多呈“快进快出”表现，而良性组大多呈“慢进慢出”表现。恶性组肝实质内结节的杨氏模量最大值（Emax）为（42.36±5.37）kPa，而良性组为（36.49±6.12）kPa，且两组之间比较差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。与CEUS、SWE单独诊断相比较，CEUS结合SWE联合诊断恶性结节的准确性、敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值最高，且差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论：CEUS结合SWE有助于提高对肝硬化背景下肝实质内良恶性的鉴别诊断价值，对临床治疗方案的选择有一定指导意义。