Detection of tumor vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma with contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging: Comparison with contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging and contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging using Levovist^? as a microbubble contrast agent in evaluating intratumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with 54 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules (before treatment, 31; after treatment, 23) were studied with both Dynamic Flow and power Doppler imaging with intravenous injection of Levovist^?. Tumor vascularity was categorized as 0, no blood flow signals within the tumor; 1, dotlike blood flow signals within the tumor; 2, moderate blood flow signals within the tumor; and 3, abundant blood flow signals within the tumor. Detectability of intratumoral vascularity of hepatocellular carcinoma in three groups based on tumor depth, blooming and noise artifacts on contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow and contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging were also compared with results obtained using dynamic CT as a the gold standard. The effectiveness of contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow and contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging in assessing therapeutic effect were compared at the same time.Results: The ability of contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow Doppler imaging to detect tumor vascularity in the superficial and intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma groups was close to that of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging (p>0.05). However, contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging demonstrated tumor parenchymal stain in 28 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules (61%), which was not detected by contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging. Further, significantly fewer artifacts appeared in contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging than in contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging (p<0.001). In assessing therapeutic response, the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging was similar to that of dynamic CT. In deep areas, however, those more than 6 cm below the surface of the body, contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging was less sensitivity than contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging (p=0.005).Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced Dynamic Flow imaging provides an effective approach to assessing intratumoral vascularity and therapeutic response in HCC lesions situated less than 6 cm from the surface of the body. It is superior to contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging in its ability to detect tumor parenchymal stain and production of fewer artifacts.     

Evaluation of transcatheter arterial embolization therapy on hepatocellular carcinomas using contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler sonography: comparison with CT,power Doppler sonography,and dynamic MRI

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess and compare the sensitivity of power Doppler sonography, contrast-enhanced sonography, plain computed tomography (CT), and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules incompletely treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Methods A total of 63 unresectable HCC nodules were examined in this study. The HCCs were treated with TAE. All patients underwent plain CT, power Doppler sonography, contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler sonography, and dynamic MRI 1 week after TAE. The sensitivity of each modality to incompletely treated HCC nodules was compared. Detection of the residual viable HCC on angiography or tumor biopsy was regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis of incomplete treatment. Results Twenty-four nodules (38%) were diagnosed as incompletely treated. The sensitivities of plain CT, power Doppler sonography, contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler sonography, and dynamic MRI to these incompletely treated nodules were 42% (10/24), 46% (11/24), 88% (21/24), and 79% (19/24), respectively. Eighty percent (19 nodules) of the 24 incompletely treated nodules were located within a depth of less than 8 cm. The sensitivities of plain CT, power Doppler sonography, contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler sonography, and dynamic MRI to these superficial incompletely treated nodules were 37% (7/19), 53% (10/19), 100% (19/19), and 74% (14/19), respectively. In contrast, the sensitivities of each modality to deeply located nodules were 60% (3/5), 20% (1/5), 40% (2/5), and 100% (5/5), respectively. Conclusion Plain CT and power Doppler sonography had a low sensitivity to HCC nodules incompletely treated with TAE. Except for those that were deeply located, contrast-enhanced harmonic sonography showed the highest sensitivity in detecting incompletely treated HCC nodules.     

编码谐波造影在小肝癌瘤内血流检测中的应用

目的：探讨编码谐波声学造影在检出小肝癌内血流信号中的应用价值。方法：对106个最大直径不超过3cm的肝癌结节行编码谐波声学造影检查，造影剂为levovist，分别在早期动脉相和门脉相评价肝癌瘤内的血流信号，所得结果与三相动态CT，数字减影血管造影和MRI对比。结果：106个肝癌结节中98个可在早期动态相和／或门脉相检出瘤内血流信号，以三相动态CT结果为金标准，其检出的敏感性，特异性和准确性分别为95．1％，100％和95．3％。其对瘤内血流的检出率（92．5％）与三相动态CT（97．2％，P＝0．14）和数字减影血管造影（88．9％，P＝0．53）相比无显著性差异，而较MRI的检出率（69．4％）高（P＝0．001）。结论：编码谐波声学造影能有效地检出小肝癌内的血流信号，并为早期诊断小肝癌提供重要信息。     

Value of new contrast harmonic technique for detecting tumor vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma: Preliminary results

Purpose: To investigate the value of a new wide-band contrast harmonic imaging method in depicting intratumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma.Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients with 28 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules evaluated with Contrast Harmonic Echo, a new wide-band harmonic imaging method, using Levovist^? as a contrast-enhancing agent. Intermittent imaging was carried out in the early arterial phase for 10 to 40 seconds, in the late vascular phase for 1 to 2 minutes, and in the postvascular phase for 5 to 7 minutes. Subtraction images were obtained using the multishot method during the late vascular phase. The ability of Contrast Harmonic Echo imaging to detect vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma was compared to that of unenhanced color Doppler imaging by analzing results obtained using dynamic CT as a gold standard.Results: Contrast harmonic Echo imaging detected intratumoral vessels, tumor parenchymal stain, and perfusion defect in the early arterial phase, the late vascular phase, and the postvascular phase, respectively. In the late vascular phase, the subtraction image clearly delineated the tumor parenchymal strain. Intratumoral vascularity was detected in 25 (89%) of the hepatocellular carcinoma nodules by Contrast Harmonic Echo, compared with 15 (54%) when color Doppler imaging was used (p<0.05). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of Contrast Harmonic Echo were 96.1%, 100% and 96.4%, respectively, corresponding to results obtained using dynamic CT.Conclusion: Contrast Harmonic Echo imaging is superior to unenhanced color Doppler imaging in depicting intratumoral vessels and parenchymal stain, and agrees closely with results obtained with three-phase dynamic CT.     

Visualization of blood flow in hepatic vessels and hepatocellular carcinoma using B-flow sonography

PURPOSE: A B-flow sonographic technique was recently developed to provide direct visualization of blood flow with gray-scale sonography. Compared with color Doppler sonography, B-flow imaging has wideband resolution and a high frame rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of B-flow sonography for visualizing blood flow in hepatic vessels and tumor vascularity in patients with liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with liver cirrhosis, including 15 with HCC, were studied by B-flow and color Doppler sonography. Blood-flow detection rates in portal veins and hepatic arteries and tumor vascularity in HCC were analyzed, and the 2 methods were compared. RESULTS: Using B-flow, blood flow was visualized in the portal vein in 23 (92%) of 25 patients and was visualized in the hepatic artery separately from the portal vein in 9 (36%) of 25 patients. The blood-flow signals were visualized only within vessels, never "bleeding" outside the vessel's lumen. Blood flow in the portal vein was observed with color Doppler sonography in all 25 patients, but the hepatic artery was never clearly separated from the portal vein. Vascularity within the HCC tumor was detected in 9 (60%) of 15 nodules with B-flow imaging, and fine arteries flowing into the tumor were observed in 6 nodules. Color Doppler sonography detected blood flow in 13 (87%) of the 15 HCC nodules. CONCLUSIONS: Blood flow in hepatic vessels and tumor vessels of HCC were visualized with B-flow sonography. B-flow sonography is a potentially useful technique for the evaluation of liver vascularity and intratumoral vessels.     

Contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography for the differentiation of cystic renal lesions: preliminary study.

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential usefulness of contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasonography in the differentiation of benign and malignant cystic renal lesions. Our study group was limited to patients who had complex cystic renal lesions of uncertain malignancy at screening ultrasonography. During the previous 6 months, 485 patients have been referred to ultrasonography for evaluation of renal cystic lesions, but only 13 patients participated in this study. Focusing on tumor vascularity in the intracystic septa or solid component, we analyzed power Doppler sonographic images before and after intravenous injection of contrast agent and compared them with contrast-enhanced CT scans or MR images and pathologic results. The visualization of vascularity was best on contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography (n = 7). The use of contrast agent with power Doppler sonography showed improved diagnostic accuracy (77%) that was superior to non-contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography or contrast-enhanced CT. In conclusion, contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography provides better visualization of tumor vascularity in complicated cystic renal lesions than other imaging modalities, leading to more exact differential diagnosis. We therefore expect that this imaging modality might be very useful in differential diagnosis of problematic cystic renal lesions, benign or malignant.     

Quantitative analysis of tumor vascularity in benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to analyze the accuracy of quantitative analysis of tumor vascularity on power Doppler sonograms in differentiating malignant and benign solid thyroid nodules using tumor histologic evaluation as the reference standard. Methods. Eighty-six solid thyroid tumors (46 malignant and 40 benign) in 56 consecutive patients (mean age +/- SD, 53.1 +/- 11.6 years; 12 male and 44 female) referred for the surgical treatment were included in our study. Visual and qualitative analysis of patterns of nodule vascularity was performed for all tumors. Quantification of the power Doppler sonograms was performed with normalized and weighted vascular indices (VIs). The accuracy of sonographic criteria for thyroid cancer was evaluated with univariate analysis. Results. Among benign thyroid tumors, there was a statistically significant increase in the levels of intranodular vascularization with an increase in tumor size (P < .001). In all tumors, increased intranodular vascularization showed 65.2% sensitivity, 52.5% specificity, and 58.9% overall accuracy in differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid lesions. In tumors smaller than 2 cm, it had 65.5% sensitivity, 85.7% specificity, and 72.1% overall accuracy. Quantitative analysis of tumor vascularity significantly overperformed visual analysis of power Doppler patterns (P < .05). Among thyroid lesions with diameters of less than 2 cm, a normalized VI of greater than 0.14 had 72.4% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 86.2% overall accuracy. A weighted VI of greater than 0.24 showed compatible results, with 69.0% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 84.5% overall accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that in small thyroid nodules, quantitative analysis of tumor vascularity has benefits over visual inspection and can be useful in differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid tumors.     

Color Doppler sonographic findings in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and renal pelvis.

The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the color Doppler sonographic findings in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and renal pelvis, (2) to determine if color Doppler sonography could predict tumor grade and stage, and (3) to determine whether tumor vascularity is related to size. A total of 15 patients with 16 bladder transitional cell carcinomas and one patient with renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma were evaluated prospectively with transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography. The presence or absence of visible vascularity and the resistive index were correlated with tumor size, cytologic grade, and tumor stage. Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher's exact test. Seven (41%) of 17 tumors had visible vascularity: five (45%) of 11 high-grade transitional cell carcinomas were vascular, whereas two (33%) of six low-grade transitional cell carcinomas were vascular (P = 1.00). Three of five (60%) of the invasive lesions were vascular, but the vascularity was not predictive of tumor stage (P = 0.593). The vascular high-grade tumors tended to have more numerous and larger visible vessels than the vascular low-grade lesions. No tumor smaller then 23 mm was vascular, but the size of the tumor was not predictive of the vascularity (P = 0.1172). The resistive index was measurable in six tumors, but it was not predictive of grade or stage. Color Doppler ultrasonography is not helpful clinically in the evaluation of transitional cell carcinoma as tumor grade, stage, and size are not related to vascularity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Assessment of image quality of contrast-enhanced power doppler imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma with the personal ultrasound imager: Comparison with the conventional machine

Objective To evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging with the personal ultrasound imager in depicting intratumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Materials and Methods Contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging was used to examine 52 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules in 29 patients, using both the personal ultrasound imager and the conventional ultrasound machine in combination with intravenous injection of Levovist^?. Results obtained using dynamic CT were used as the gold standard. The ability of the personal ultrasound imager to detect intratumoral vascularity was compared with that of the conventional ultrasound machine, and the usefulness of the personal ultrasound imager in assessing therapeutic effect after nonsurgical treatment was compared with that of dynamic CT at the same time. Results The personal ultrasound imager and the conventional ultrasound machine, using the fundamental power Doppler imaging mode (p=0.13) and contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging mode (p=0.41), did not differ significantly in depicting the vascularity of the 52 hepatocellular carcinomas. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging on the personal ultrasound imager were 95.5%, 87.5%, and 94.2%, respectively, in close agreement with results obtained using dynamic CT. After the 22 hepatocellular carcinomas were treated, the personal ultrasound imager provided diagnostic accuracy of 90.9% on residual tumors when compared with results obtained by dynamic CT, and results obtained using the conventional ultrasound machine were similar. Conclusion The highly portable personal ultrasound imager using Levovist^?-enhanced power Doppler imaging can clearly depict the intratumoral vascularity of hepatocellular carcinoma nodules before and after treatment, achieving results very close to those obtained using the conventional diagnostic ultrasound machine. The personal ultrasound imager is an alternative to the conventional ultrasound machine for depicting tumor vascularity.     

The role of contrast-enhanced sonography for radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and usefulness of contrast-enhanced sonography for tumor detection and guidance of liver VX2 tumor ablation and to evaluate post radiofrequency ablation effectiveness. METHODS: VX2 tumors were implanted into the livers of 6 rabbits. Both conventional and harmonic gray scale and power Doppler imaging were performed with a commercially available scanner to evaluate the liver tumors before and after intravenous injection of a sonographic contrast agent before and after radiofrequency ablation. Contrast-enhanced imaging was used to detect the tumors before ablation, to guide needle insertion, and to measure the ablation sites after radiofrequency ablation. Pathologic examination was performed for comparison. RESULTS: Three tumors were seen without contrast enhancement, whereas 10 tumors (<1 cm) were detected with contrast enhancement. Intentionally, 2 tumors were completely ablated and 5 tumors were partially ablated. In 3 cases, incompletely ablated tumors could only be identified on contrast-enhanced Doppler imaging by enhancing the detection of residual tumor vascularity. There was excellent concordance between sonographic imaging and gross pathologic findings. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced sonographic imaging appears useful for detection of liver tumors and for guiding and monitoring tumor ablation therapies.     

乳腺肿瘤血管影像评价方法

目前检测乳腺肿瘤血管的非侵入性方法主要是多普勒超声检查,但其对微小血管的显示有较大的局限性,而新开展的超声造影及动态增强MRI则可弥补此方面的不足,从而提高了早期乳腺癌的检出率。本文就超声和MRI这两种评价乳腺肿瘤血管的方法作一综述。     

Septate uterus: detection and prediction of obstetrical complications by different forms of ultrasonography.

The aims of the study were to compare the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography, transvaginal color Doppler sonography, hysterosonography, and three-dimensional ultrasonography in detection of septate uterus and to evaluate the occurrence of obstetrical complications in relation to septal dimension and vascularity. Each patient underwent transvaginal ultrasonography and color Doppler examination, whereas hysterosonography and three-dimensional ultrasonography were carried out in 76 and 86 patients, respectively. The sensitivity of different sonographic imaging modalities ranges between 95.21% and 99.29%. Color and pulsed Doppler sonographic studies of the septal area revealed vascularity in 71.22%. Patients with vascularized septa had a higher prevalence of obstetrical complications than those with avascularized septa (P < 0.05). Three-dimensional ultrasonography and hysterosonography are highly accurate diagnostic tools for detection of uterine septa. We found no correlation between septal dimension and rate of obstetrical complications, although pregnancy loss was most likely to occur in patients with vascularized septa.     

二维及彩超在乳腺良恶性肿块鉴别诊断中的价值

目的 探讨二维及彩超在乳腺良恶性肿块鉴别诊断中的价值。方法 45例肿块经二维超声了解其形态、边界、边缘、内部回声、有无后方衰减及侧方声影；然后用彩色多普勒检查，观察肿块内部血流丰富程度，并根据其丰富程度分成4个等级，并测量阻力指数。结果 良恶性乳腺肿块二维声像特征存在一定重叠；二者血流丰富程度及阻力指数有助于鉴别诊断。结论 二维声像图与彩色多普勒相结合，在乳腺良恶性肿块的鉴别诊断中，有着重要的诊断价值。     

胎儿硬脑膜窦畸形的产前超声诊断

目的探讨胎儿硬脑膜窦畸形（DSM）产前超声声像图特征。方法对产前疑诊胎儿脑部异常由南方医科大学附属深圳市妇幼保健院超声会诊的3例胎儿进行颅脑超声及MRI影像检查,并与临床及引产胎儿尸检结果进行对照分析,总结硬脑膜窦畸形产前诊断特点。结果 3例胎儿产前超声均表现为颅内枕骨窦汇区扩大、内可见细密回声流动、伴上矢状窦扩张,其中1例伴窦汇内血栓形成,于扩大的窦汇内可见类圆形高回声团,周边密集点状回声区环绕,彩色多普勒超声未见明显血流信号,超声均诊断为硬脑膜窦畸形（其中1例伴血栓形成）。MRI检查2例,胎儿颅内枕骨窦汇区扩张呈扇状,内呈稍短T1稍短T2信号影,其中1例上矢状窦扩张伴血栓形成,T2WI血栓较脑实质呈中低信号,伴局灶性偏心性稍高信号,诊断为硬脑膜窦畸形伴血栓形成。3例中1例引产尸检显示颅内枕骨窦汇区及上矢状窦后部瘤样扩张,其内血肿形成;2例未尸检。结论胎儿硬脑膜窦畸形典型超声声像图特征为颅内窦汇区扩大,内见密集点状回声,常伴上矢状窦扩张,无明显血流信号,在检出脑中线后方无回声区时应注意识别是否为硬脑膜窦畸形所致。     

肾静脉栓塞的彩色多普勒超声征象及其诊断价值

目的通过与增强CT对比分析,探讨彩色多普勒超声在肾静脉栓塞疾病中的诊断价值。 方法选取2014年1月至2017年9月在北京协和医院就诊的经手术病理或随访证实的40例45侧肾静脉栓塞患者,其中,15例20侧肾静脉血栓及25例25侧肾静脉癌栓,均行彩色多普勒超声及增强CT检查,总结肾静脉栓塞的超声表现,包括栓塞病灶的位置、受累静脉管腔及管壁特点、侧支形成情况及彩色多普勒表现。超声与增强CT诊断肾静脉血栓及癌栓的准确率比较采用χ²检验。 结果彩色多普勒超声对肾静脉血栓及癌栓的诊断准确性分别为85%、84%,CT增强扫描的诊断准确性依次分别为100%、96%,差异均无统计学意义（P均>0.05）。肾静脉栓塞的主要超声征象有：（1）肾静脉管腔扩张伴实性成分填充;（2）主干内血流中断或充盈缺损;（3）肾内无明显静脉血流信号或血流信号分布稀疏。 结论彩色多普勒超声与增强CT在诊断肾静脉栓塞上有较好的一致性,超声可作为评估肾静脉栓塞的重要影像学方式,结合病史能为肾静脉栓塞提供较为可靠的诊断依据。     

肝肿瘤超声造影的血流动力学诊断研究

目的：研究在多普勒超声造影中肝实质性占位血流信号的改变。方法：选择经手术及病理证实的61例肝占位性病变,其中肝恶性肿瘤42例,良性病变19例,均经肘静脉注射浓度为400mg/ml的Levovist 6-7ml后,研究肝良恶性肿瘤中彩色多普勒信号的增强情况,结果：造影前,后彩色多谱勒血流显像显示及有彩色务流信号的肝实质性占位,良性分别为52．6％（10／19）及73．6％（14／19）,恶性分别为80．9％（34／42）及100％（42／42）。平均开始增强时间,峰值出现时间,增强总持续时间良性占位分别为37s,92s,496s,恶性占们分别为29s,78s,405s,良恶性比较差异有显著性意义。结论：Levovist能明显增强肝实质性占位病变中的彩色多普勒血流信号,肝恶性肿瘤的增强时间较良性肿瘤明显缩短,可以帮助鉴别诊断。     

Role of color Doppler imaging in diagnosing and managing pregnancies complicated by placental chorioangioma

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of color Doppler imaging in the diagnosis and management of placental chorioangioma. METHODS: The medical records, sonographic reports, and sonograms of all pregnant women who had placental masses diagnosed in our sonography unit during the years 1992 through 2000 and had been evaluated using both gray-scale and color Doppler sonography were included in this study. Subjective evaluation of the amount and distribution of intralesional vascularity by color Doppler imaging was made in all cases. Cases of chorioangioma of the placenta were compared with cases of placental hemorrhage or subchorionic hematoma. The outcomes of the pregnancies were also recorded. RESULTS: Fifteen cases of placental masses were evaluated; 8 of them were identified as placental hemorrhage or subchorionic hematoma on the basis of the sonographic findings. The other 7 cases were identified prenatally as placental chorioangioma, at a mean menstrual age of 23 weeks and a mean maternal age of 29 years. The mean size of the tumor was 6.5 cm (range, 4-13 cm). All cases of chorioangioma showed either substantial internal vascularity or a large feeding vessel within the tumor. Three infants were delivered at term with favorable outcome; 2 of them demonstrated reduction of the intratumoral blood flow during follow-up. The other 4 cases were delivered at or before 32 weeks' menstrual age (1 intrauterine fetal death, 2 terminated pregnancies, and 1 normal infant). No case of placental hematoma demonstrated blood flow within the lesion or was associated with complications of the pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler imaging helps differentiate placental chorioangioma from other placental lesions and may be useful in the prenatal follow-up of chorioangioma.     

CO2肝动脉超声造影对肝癌肝动脉栓塞治疗效果的即时评估

目的 探讨肝癌肝动脉栓塞（ＴＡＥ）治疗疗效即时评估的新方法。方法 对肝癌行ＴＡＥ患者,即时观察磺油栓塞后肿瘤声像图变化,然后经介入导管注射超声造影剂,动态观察造影剂在瘤内分布以评估肿瘤血管的栓塞程度,并加介入当时Ｘ线显示的磺油沉积和彩色我镨勒显示的肿瘤血流信号作对照。结果 肝超声造影,５个病灶显示瘤内无造影剂进入,３个病灶显示肿瘤周边局部有少量造影剂进入,１个病灶清晰显示造影剂沿肿瘤血管蜿蜓迂曲进     

Contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and contrast pulse subtraction imaging: Preliminary results in hepatic tumors

Purpose

To investigate the usefulness of contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and contrast pulse subtraction imaging in the intranodular hemodynamics of hepatic tumors.

Materials and Methods

Ten patients underwent contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and contrast pulse subtraction imaging using Levovist^®, a microbubble contrast agent. Fourteen hepatic tumor nodules were studied: 9 were hepatocellular carcinoma, 1 metastasis, 1 hemangioma, 1 adenomatous hyperplasia, and 2 metastatic lymph nodes of hepatocellular carcinoma. Real-time scanning of contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and intermittent interval-delay scanning of contrast pulse subtraction imaging were carried out in the early arterial phase, the late vascular phase, and the postvascular phase. The results obtained from contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and contrast pulse subtraction imaging were compared with those obtained by precontrast power Doppler imaging and three-phase dynamic CT, respectively.

Results

The rate of detection of intranodular vascularity by contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging (93%) or contrast pulse subtraction imaging (93%) was significantly higher than that of precontrast power Doppler imaging (29%) and was as high as that of dynamic CT. Characteristic intranodular hemodynamics were detected in hepatocellular carcinoma, metastasis, hemangioma, and adenomatous hyperplasia with typical appearance of an intranodular blood vessel image in the early arterial phase, a parenchymal stain image in the late vascular phase, and a perfusion defect image in the post-vascular phase.

Conclusion

Contrast advanced dynamic flow imaging and contrast pulse subtraction imaging clearly show the intranodular hemodynamics in hepatic tumors.     

超声造影功率多普勒谐频成像在肝肿瘤诊断中的应用

目的：评价功率（俗称“能量”）多普勒超声造影检测肝肿瘤内血流信号的能力。方法：对未治疗的56例57个肝脏占位性病变进行超声造影功率多普勒谐频成像检查，其中原发性肝癌47个，胆管细胞性肝癌3个，转移性肝癌3个，肝血管瘤2个，肝局灶性结节增生2个。所有病人注射造影剂后于早期动脉相观察肿瘤内的血流灌注情况，并与动态增强CT结果比较。结果：功率多普勒谐频成像显示肝肿瘤内造影增强80．7％（46／57）、负性增强19．3％（11／57）。与动态增强CT相比，功率多普勒谐频成像显示肿瘤内血流信号的敏感性、特异性和准确性分别为83．6％、100％和84．2％。肿瘤的深度是影响谐频成像结果的重要因素。结论：对一定深度范围内的肝肿瘤，功率多普勒谐频成 像可以敏感而准确地显示不同肝肿瘤的血流灌注情况，估计肿瘤血供特点，有助于肝肿瘤的诊断和鉴别诊断。