Characterization of hepatic tumors: value of contrast-enhanced coded phase-inversion harmonic angio

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced coded phase-inversion harmonic imaging in showing the characteristic intranodular hemodynamics of hepatic tumors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Using a microbubble contrast agent we performed coded harmonic angio in 163 patients with 192 hepatic tumor nodules: 153 hepatocellular carcinomas, 13 metastases, 14 hemangiomas, eight dysplastic nodules, and four focal nodular hyperplasias. After injecting Levovist, we performed real-time scanning, interval-delay fast low-angle shot imaging, and sweep scanning in the early arterial phase, late vascular phase, and postvascular phase, respectively. RESULTS: On contrast-enhanced coded harmonic angio, the typical hemodynamic pattern of hepatocellular carcinomas was shown as abundant tumor vessels supplied from the periphery to the center of the tumor and dense parenchymal tumor staining with fast washout (sensitivity, 92.8%; specificity, 92.3%). The characteristic hemodynamic pattern of metastases was peripheral tumor vessels with a rim parenchymal stain in the vascular phase followed by a perfusion defect in the postvascular phase (sensitivity, 69.2%; specificity, 100%). Hemangiomas were hypovascular in the early arterial phase with gradual spotty or cotton-wool pooling continuing to the late vascular phase (sensitivity, 92.9%; specificity, 100%). Dysplastic nodules were shown as having no early arterial supply with isovascularity in the late vascular phase (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 100%). Focal nodular hyperplasias were shown to have a spoked wheel pattern of blood vessels accompanied by dense staining in interval-delay scanning (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 100%). CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced coded harmonic angio is a promising method to provide useful information for the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors.     

Focal Hepatic Lesions: Evaluation with Contrast-Enhanced Gray-Scale Harmonic US

Objective

To determine the findings of various focal hepatic lesions at contrast-enhanced gray-scale ultrasound (US) using a coded harmonic angio (CHA) technique and emphasizing lesion characterization.

Materials and Methods

The study involved 95 patients with 105 focal hepatic lesions, namely 51 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 22 metastases, 22 hemangiomas, four cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and six nontumorous nodules. After the injection of a microbubble contrast agent (SH U 508A), gray-scale harmonic US studies using a CHA technique were performed with a combination of continuous scanning to assess the intratumoral vasculature (vascular imaging) and interval-delay scanning to determine the sequential enhancement pattern (acoustic emission imaging). Each imaging pattern was categorized and analyzed.

Results

At vascular imaging, 69% of HCCs (35/51) showed irregular branching vessels, while in 91% of metastases (20/22) a peripherally stippled pattern was observed. Intratumoral vessels were absent in 95% of hemangiomas (21/22) and all nontumorous lesions (6/6), while in 75% of FNHs (3/4) a spoke-wheel pattern was evident. At acoustic emission imaging, 71% of HCCs (36/51) showed heterogeneous enhancement and 86% (19/22) of metastases showed rim- or flame-like peripheral enhancement during the early phase, with washout occurring in all HCCs and metastases (100%, 73/73) during the late phase. In hemangiomas, enhancement was either peripheral and nodular (19/22, 86%) or persistent and homogeneous (3/22, 14%), and 75% of FNHs (3/4) became isoechoic during the late phase.

Conclusion

At contrast-enhanced gray-scale US using a CHA technique, a period of continuous scanning depicted the intratumoral vasculature, and interval-delay scanning demonstrated the sequential enhancement pattern. The characteristic findings of various focal hepatic lesions were thus determined.     

Focal Hepatic Lesions: Contrast-Enhancement Patterns at Pulse-Inversion Harmonic US using a Microbubble Contrast Agent

Objective

To analyze the contrast-enhancement patterns obtained at pulse-inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) of focal hepatic lesions, and to thus determine tumor vascularity and the acoustic emission effect.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed pulse-inversion images in 90 consecutive patients with focal hepatic lesions, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n=43), metastases (n=30), and hemangioma (n=17). Vascular and delayed phase images were obtained immediately and five minutes following the injection of a microbubble contrast agent. Tumoral vascularity at vascular phase imaging and the acoustic emission effect at delayed phase imaging were each classified as one of four patterns.

Results

Vascular phase images depicted internal vessels in 93% of HCCs, marginal vessels in 83% of metastases, and peripheral nodular enhancement in 71% of hemangiomas. Delayed phase images showed inhomogeneous enhancement in 86% of HCCs; hypoechoic, decreased enhancement in 93% of metastases; and hypoechoic and reversed echogenicity in 65% of hemangiomas. Vascular and delayed phase enhancement patterns were associated with a specificity of 91% or greater, and 92% or greater, respectively, and with positive predictive values of 71% or greater, and 85% or greater, respectively.

Conclusion

Contrast-enhancement patterns depicting tumoral vascularity and the acoustic emission effect at PIHI can help differentiate focal hepatic lesions.     

肝脏局灶性结节增生的MRI征象分析

目的:探讨肝局灶性结节增生(FNH)的典型及不典型MRI表现及与病理特点的相关性,提高FNH诊断的准确性。方法:回顾性分析33例(共40个病灶)经手术病理证实的FNH的MRI平扫和增强表现。结果:28例为单发,5例为多发病灶。40个病灶在T1WI呈等或稍低信号,在T2WI呈等或稍低信号,增强扫描动脉期31个病灶(94%)明显强化,门脉期及延迟期呈稍高或等信号;1例动脉期未见明显强化,门脉期及延迟期可见强化;1例动脉期边缘明显强化,门脉期及延迟期逐渐强化。12个病灶(30%)中心可见纤维瘢痕,11个延迟期强化,1个未见明显强化。3个病灶(8%)边缘见假包膜,延迟期可见强化。结论:MRI能较好地反映FNH内部组织学情况及血供特点,充分认识FNH的典型征象及不典型表现能帮助我们准备地做出诊断,从而避免不必要的活检及手术。     

Renal arteries in patients at risk of renal arterial stenosis: multicenter evaluation of the echo-enhancer SH U 508A at color and spectral Doppler US. Levovist Renal Artery Stenosis Study Group

PURPOSE: To assess SH U 508A in the diagnosis of suspected renal arterial stenosis by means of ultrasonography (US) and to confirm the safety of SH U 508A in a clinical setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized crossover study was performed in 198 patients from 14 European centers who were referred for renal arterial angiography because they were suspected of having renal arterial stenosis. All patients underwent nonenhanced and SH U 508A-enhanced Doppler US of the renal arteries. Doppler criteria included measurement of renal arterial peak systolic velocity (threshold, 1.4-2.0 m/sec) in all centers and renoaortic ratio (threshold, 3.0-3.5) in nine. RESULTS: The number of examinations with successful results increased following enhanced Doppler US examination--160 (83.8%) compared with 122 (63.9%) with nonenhanced Doppler US (P = .001), including patients with obesity or renal dysfunction. Renal arterial stenosis (> or =50%) was detected at angiography in 72 patients. Results at enhanced Doppler US were in agreement with results at angiography more often than with results at nonenhanced Doppler US in the diagnosis or exclusion of renal arterial stenosis (P = .001). For patients examined with nonenhanced and enhanced Doppler US, sensitivity (80.0% and 83.7%, respectively) and specificity (80.8% and 83.6%, respectively) remained unchanged. There were no clinically important adverse events following use of SH U 508A. CONCLUSION: In patients suspected of having renal arterial stenosis, SH U 508A increased the number of diagnostic renal arterial Doppler studies.     

动态增强容积内插序列在肝脏占位性病变的临床应用价值

目的:评价MRI三维动态增强容积内插序列在肝脏局灶性病变的临床应用价值.方法:91例肝脏占位性病变患者进行常规MR T1WI和T2WI扫描后,采用三维扰相梯度序列行屏气全肝3期动态增强扫描并进行图像重组,观察病灶的增强特点,并对肝动脉的显示程度进行分级.结果:91例中原发性肝癌17例,肝血管瘤24例,肝转移性肿瘤16例,局灶性结节增生2例,肝脓肿11例,肝囊肿21例.肝动脉显示为2级86例94.5%,1级3例3.3%,0级2例2.2%.结论:MR 动态增强容积内插技术可以获得高质量的图像(尤其是动脉期),有利于肝脏局灶性病变的定性、定位诊断和指导临床治疗.     

Do different types of liver lesions differ in their uptake of the microbubble contrast agent SH U 508A in the late liver phase? Early experience

PURPOSE: To compare the uptake of SH U 508A in different types of liver lesions by using stimulated acoustic emission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with characterized lesions (metastasis, n = 17; hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 4; hemangioma, n = 9; focal nodular hyperplasia, n = 7) received 2.5 g SH U 508A. After 5 minutes, stimulated acoustic emission was elicited by using a previously described method. Liver and/or lesional differences were assessed with videodensitometry (objective conspicuity score), and two observers assessed each lesion by using a six-point scale (subjective conspicuity score). RESULTS: Metastases and hepatocellular carcinoma had low stimulated acoustic emission; median objective conspicuity scores were 70% and 68% (all scores were > or =43%), respectively, and subjective conspicuity scores were 2 or higher for both observers. Hemangiomas had reduced stimulated acoustic emission, with more variability; the median objective conspicuity score was 41% (range, 9%-72%), and the median subjective conspicuity scores were 2 (range, 1-4) and 3.5 (range, 1-5) for observers 1 and 2, respectively. Focal nodular hyperplasia had stimulated acoustic emission comparable to that of the liver in all cases; the median objective conspicuity score was -4.7% (all scores were <6%), and the subjective conspicuity score was 1 or lower for both observers. This finding completely separated focal nodular hyperplasia and malignancies. Significant differences were seen between focal nodular hyperplasia and all other lesion types (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Strong late-phase lesional uptake of SH U 508A is characteristic of focal nodular hyperplasia, is seen in some hemangiomas, and was not observed in malignancies.     

Harmonic hepatic US with microbubble contrast agent: initial experience showing improved characterization of hemangioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastasis

PURPOSE: To characterize blood flow in focal hepatic lesions with harmonic ultrasonographic (US) imaging and a microbubble contrast agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with known hepatic masses were examined after injection of a perfluorocarbon microbubble agent. Tumor vascularity was assessed with continuous, harmonic gray-scale imaging with a low mechanical index (MI). Tumor vascular volume was assessed with brief, high-MI insonation called interval-delay imaging, which caused microbubble destruction. As the total contrast agent volume in the liver reflects the total vascular volume, quantitation of lesion enhancement relative to normal hepatic enhancement helped determine the vascular volume of the tumor relative to that of normal parenchyma. RESULTS: Low-MI continuous harmonic imaging showed lesional vessels in hepatocellular carcinomas, minimal or no vessels in hemangiomas, and variable vascularization in metastases. High-MI interval-delay imaging showed greater enhancement in hepatocellular carcinomas than in normal liver (P <.02) and showed less enhancement in hemangiomas than in normal liver (P <.02). Enhancement in metastases was greater in the margins than in the center; as a result, the lesions appeared smaller (P <.03) and less well defined on the interval-delay images. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging appears superior to conventional Doppler US for hepatic mass characterization. Low-MI continuous and high-MI interval-delay imaging can help assess tumor vascular pattern and microvascular volume.     

Dynamic sonography of hepatic tumors

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to propose and evaluate a dynamic sonography protocol for the characterization of hepatic tumors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 107 patients with focal liver lesions that initially had been found on conventional sonograms. The final diagnoses for the lesions were hepatocellular carcinoma in 60 patients, cholangiocellular carcinoma in six, metastatic carcinoma in 24, hemangioma in 10, and focal fat-spared region in seven. The pulse inversion harmonic imaging mode and a galactose-based contrast agent (Levovist) were used. Dynamic sonography was designed to obtain vascular-phase (composed of the arterial phase and the portal phase) images of the focal lesion and liver-parenchymal-phase images of the whole liver in a series obtained after a bolus injection of the contrast agent. RESULTS: If the whole-tumor or mosaic enhancement patterns (arterial phase) and/or the reticular enhancement (parenchymal phase) are regarded as positive findings for hepatocellular carcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of dynamic sonography in our study were 92%, 96%, and 96%, respectively. If a ring enhancement (arterial to portal phase) or a clear defect (parenchymal phase) or both are regarded as positive findings for cholangiocellular carcinoma or metastasis, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were 90%, 95%, and 88%, respectively. If puddle enhancement (portal phase) is regarded as a positive finding for hemangioma, the figures for sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were 60%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Also, the tumors that showed no focal sign in the liver parenchymal phase were all benign lesions, such as hemangiomas or focal fat-spared regions. CONCLUSION: Dynamic sonography in a protocol combining pulse inversion harmonic imaging and an IV bolus injection of the contrast agent proved to be an effective tool in characterizing liver tumors.     

The real capabilities of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the characterization of solid focal liver lesions

Contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) using intravenous agents is a rapidly evolving field even though the main clinically recognized application is the characterization of focal liver lesions. Several reports have described the improvement provided by CEUS in the characterization of focal liver lesions in comparison to unenhanced US. CEUS with low transmit power insonation allows the real-time assessment of focal liver lesion contrast enhancement and vascularity during the different dynamic phases after injection of an intravenous contrast agent. CEUS allows the accurate characterization of focal liver lesions as benign or malignant based on the lesion contrast enhancement pattern during the arterial phase and lesion vascularity during portal--late phase in comparison to the adjacent liver parenchyma. During the portal--late phase, benign lesions present prevalently a sustained contrast enhancement with hyper or isovascular appearance to the adjacent liver while malignant lesions present prevalently microbubble washout with hypovascular appearance. On the other hand, the histology of focal liver lesions can only be confidently predicted in selected cases by CEUS, as in liver haemangiomas presenting typical nodular peripheral enhancement with subsequent centripetal fill-in and focal nodular hyperplasia with central spoke wheel-shaped contrast enhancement.     

肝局灶性病变CT与MRI动态增强对照研究

目的:探讨肝局灶性病变在CT和MRI动态增强中的影像差异及其原因,以提高对CT及MRI各自动态增强表现的认识。方法:搜集17例肝脏局灶性病变患者的临床资料,其中7例肝细胞肝癌,5例海绵状血管瘤,2例腺瘤,2例局灶结节性增生,1例转移瘤。全部病例均分别行CT及MRI的平扫和三期动态增强扫描;MRI采用SE序列加快速扰相梯度回波序列,将CT和MR动态增强图像进行对照观察,包括动态增强各期的强化范围、强化方式和强化幅度,强化幅度的比较用病灶密度(信号)与肝脏密度(信号)的比值进行比较。结果:肝癌、腺瘤和局灶结节性增生在CT与MRI上强化范围相似。1例肝癌动脉期强化幅度MRI大于CT,3例肝癌和2例局灶结节性增生门脉期及延迟期强化幅度MRI大于CT,2例腺瘤增强各期强化幅度MRI均大于CT,以动脉期差异最大。5例海绵状血管瘤强化范围动脉期及门脉期MRI大于CT,延迟期则相仿。1例转移瘤CT增强各期均未见明显强化,MRI门脉期及延迟期可见环状强化。结论:肝局灶性病变CT与MRI动态增强表现存在一定的差异,主要表现为部分病变增强各期强化幅度MRI大于CT,尤以动脉期差异最大;部分病变增强范围MRI大于CT。     

超声造影诊断肝脏局灶性结节状增生的价值

目的：探讨超声造影诊断肝脏局灶性结节状增生的价值。材料和方法：回顾分析了11例肝脏局灶性结节状增生的超声造影表现。9例于造影后经超声引导穿刺确诊,2例经手术确诊。结果：11例病灶动脉期均快速显著增强。9例病灶动脉早期呈轮辐状增强,造影三期回声强于周边肝实质,实质期可见轮辐状低回声；2例病灶动脉早期快速增强,动脉期及门脉期回声强于周边肝实质,实质期回声与肝实质等同,未见轮辐状低回声。结论：超声造影所显示的肝脏局灶性结节状增生的增强特征,有助于临床诊断。部分病灶超声造影表现缺乏特异性,确诊仍需要结合其他影像学方法和穿刺活检。     

Improved characterization of liver lesions with liver-phase uptake of liver-specific microbubbles: prospective multicenter study

PURPOSE: To evaluate in a prospective multicenter study whether conventional ultrasonographic (US) characterization of liver lesions can be improved by imaging during the liver-specific phase of SH U 508A uptake in the microbubble-specific agent detection imaging mode. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-two patients with liver lesions underwent conventional gray-scale and color Doppler US and SH U 508A-enhanced US. Two radiologists blindly read digital cine clips and assigned scores for confidence in diagnosis of benignancy or malignancy, diagnosis of specific lesion types, and relative difference in SH U 508A uptake between the lesion and the liver parenchyma (ie, subjective conspicuity score [SCS]). Comparisons were made to see whether the addition of agent detection imaging led to improved diagnostic performance. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed improved discrimination of benign and malignant lesions for readers 1 (P =.049) and 2 (P <.001). The number of patients with a correct diagnosis of benignancy or malignancy assigned by readers 1 and 2, respectively, improved from 114 and 113 to 125 and 128 with agent detection imaging (reader 1: P =.027; reader 2: P =.008; McNemar test). Specific diagnoses were made more accurately with agent detection imaging: At McNemar testing, the number of correct lesion type determinations increased from 83 to 92 (P =.022) for reader 1 and from 85 to 99 (P <.001) for reader 2. Both readers assigned high scores for differences in SH U 508A uptake between the liver parenchyma and the lesion for metastases and cholangiocarcinomas and low scores for uptake differences in most of the benign lesions. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), hemangiomas, and adenomas had more variable uptake differences. Fourteen of 22 hemangiomas were assigned an SCS of less than 50%, and 22 (reader 1) and 15 (reader 2) of 31 HCCs were assigned an SCS of greater than 50%. CONCLUSION: With use of SH U 508A-enhanced agent detection imaging, liver lesion characterization and diagnostic performance are significantly improved.     

螺旋CT双期或三期扫描对肝脏占位性病变的诊断

目的：分析肝脏螺旋CT双期或三期扫描表现，探讨其对原发性肝癌、肝转移瘤、肝血管瘤的诊断及鉴别诊断的意义。方法：经临床证实25例，均作螺旋CT平扫、动脉期、门脉期及部分平衡期和延迟期扫描，并分析螺旋CT多期扫描表现。结果：原发性肝癌动脉期明显强化而肝脏无强化，形成鲜明的对比，门脉期呈相对低密度或恢复到平扫时表现。肝血管瘤CT特征为动脉期呈边缘性环状、结节样强化，门脉期病灶边缘强化向中心强化并充满病灶呈高密度，平衡期呈等密度或低密度肝转移瘤表现多样化，周边强化或不均匀强化或不强化。结论：螺旋CT双期或三期扫描已作为对肝脏占位性病变的主要检查方法，并作为常规。     

肝局灶性结节增生的CT表现与病理对照分析

目的：总结分析肝脏局灶性结节增生（FNH）的平扫和多期增强扫描的CT表现,探讨其诊断价值。方法：回顾性分析18例（21个病灶）经病理证实的FNH的平扫及三期增强CT表现。结果：CT平扫21个病灶中7个病灶呈均匀低密度,14个呈不均匀低密度。增强扫描动脉期除中央疤痕外,19个病灶有明显均匀强化、1个中等不均匀强化、1个轻度不均匀强化,6个病灶还可见病灶中心或周边增粗、扭曲的动脉影;门脉期和延迟期扫描显示10个病灶呈略高密度,6个病灶呈等密度,5个病灶呈略低密度。平扫显示7个病灶伴有中央星状疤痕者,多期增强CT显示15个病灶有中央疤痕并于平衡期出现延迟强化。结论：CT检查能较全面显示FNH的病理特征和血供特点,FNHCT平扫为低密度,增强扫描以＂快进慢出＂为主要特征。     

Eosinophilic hepatic necrosis: magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography comparison

OBJECTIVE: To compare the findings of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with those of computed tomography (CT) of focal liver lesions related to peripheral eosinophilia. METHODS: For 12 patients with peripheral eosinophilia (>7%) examined with hepatic MR imaging and CT, 52 focal hepatic lesions larger than 0.5 cm, including 31 lesions simultaneously found on the 2 imaging modalities, were subjected to a comparative analysis of their imaging features. RESULTS: The total number of lesions distinguished from background liver was 39 (75%) on MR imaging and 44 (85%) on CT scans. On arterial phase images of 10 patients with comparable data, homogeneously hyperintense lesions were demonstrated more frequently (P = 0.006) on MR imaging (16 [50%] of 32 lesions) than on CT scans (4 [13%] of 32 lesions). Only 7 (22%) of the 32 hypoattenuating lesions on portal phase CT were depicted as hypointense lesions on portal phase MR images in 12 patients. On delayed phase images in 8 patients, the number of hyperintense lesions on MR images (9 [56%] of 16) was greater (P = 0.077) than that seen on the CT scans (4 [25%] of 16). CONCLUSIONS: For many focal hepatic lesions related to peripheral eosinophilia, dynamic MR imaging more easily demonstrates lesional enhancement on arterial and delayed phases than CT scans. Because of the higher degree of lesional enhancement of MR imaging compared with CT, the lesion-to-liver contrast may not be sufficient to distinguish the lesion from the background liver, resulting in decreased sensitivity of portal phase dynamic MR imaging.     

肝脏局灶性结节性增生2例报告及文献复习

目的通过分析肝脏局灶性结节增生的影像表现，提高其诊断准确性。方法2例经手术病理证实的肝脏局灶性结节增生患者均接受超声、CT和MRI检查，其影像表现结合文献复习进行了分析。结果超声显示了2例的肝右叶实性占位性病变。1例CT平扫肝右叶病灶显示不清，增强扫描后，肝右叶前段有一直径约3．1cm的类圆形病灶呈均匀强化。MR平扫见2例的肝内结节病灶均呈等T1、等T2信号，增强扫描动脉期病灶明显强化，门脉期和延迟期病灶的强化程度逐渐下降。结论腹部超声可提示本病的诊断，而CT和MRI，尤其是增强扫描，可清晰显示病灶的血供特点和强化特征，为定性诊断提供重要依据。     

Differentiation of focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Non-invasive differentiation of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is difficult. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of contrast-enhanced phase inversion ultrasound to differentiate between histologically proven FNH and HCA, analysing the arterial and (early) portal venous phase. 32 patients with histological proven FNH (n=24) or HCA (n=8) have been included in this prospective study. Examination technique: Siemens Elegra, phase inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) with low mechanical index (MI)<0.2-0.3 using SonoVue (BR 1). The contrast enhancing tumour characteristics were evaluated during the hepatic arterial (starting 8-22 s) and early portal venous phase (starting 12-30 s). The image analysis was performed by three examiners. In 23 of 24 patients with FNH the contrast pattern revealed pronounced arterial and (early) portal venous enhancement. Homogeneous enhancement was detected during the hepatic arterial phase in all eight patients with HCA. In contrast to patients with FNH, no enhancement was seen during the portal venous phase. In conclusion, contrast-enhanced phase inversion ultrasound demonstrated pronounced arterial and portal venous enhancement in patients with focal nodular hyperplasia. In contrast, after homogeneous enhancement during hepatic arterial phase, no enhancement during hepatic portal venous phase was detected in patients with hepatocellular adenoma. Therefore, this technique might improve the functional characterization of benign hypervascular focal liver lesions.     

Characterization of focal liver lesions in real time using harmonic imaging with high mechanical index and contrast agent levovist

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize focal hepatic lesions using agent detection imaging and Levovist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients (21 male and 44 female; age range, 8-82 years; mean +/- standard deviation, 58.1 +/- 14.5 years) were independently evaluated by two observers in a blinded manner using stored sonographic images. Seventy-five lesions were found: 15 hepatocellular carcinomas, nine focal nodular hyperplasias, two adenomas, 21 hemangiomas, 23 metastases, and five regenerative nodules. Nine patients were excluded (six because of technical failures, three with unproven diagnoses). New high-mechanical-index software was used to reveal power harmonic responses from contrast microbubble destruction. After a venous bolus injection of 4 g of Levovist at a strength of 400 mg/mL, delayed imaging was used to study lesion enhancement in the arterial, portal, and parenchymal phases. Two comparisons were made. The first was between the B-mode image and the first contrast-enhanced image after the flash. The second was between color Doppler sonograms and real-time contrast-enhanced perfusion images. RESULTS: Contrast-enhanced images after the flash and real-time contrast-enhanced images revealed more information for the characterization of the lesion than did gray-scale and color Doppler images (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon's signed rank test). Different types of lesions showed statistically significant differences in enhancement during each of the three vascular phases (p < 0.005, Kruskal-Wallis test). Lesions with lower contrast enhancement were metastases and regenerating nodules. Good agreement was present between the two observers; differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Agent detection imaging with Levovist increased diagnostic confidence in the characterization of focal hepatic lesions as compared with standard sonography.     

Evaluation of posttreatment response of hepatocellular carcinoma with contrast-enhanced coded phase-inversion harmonic US: comparison with dynamic CT.

PURPOSE: To assess the reliability of contrast material-enhanced real-time gray-scale ultrasonography (US) in evaluating posttreatment response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty HCC nodules were examined with contrast-enhanced coded phase-inversion harmonic US before and after treatment. Intratumoral vascularity was assessed with continuous imaging in the early arterial phase and with interval-delay scanning to depict tumor parenchymal flow during the blood pool phase. Vascular findings at US were compared with those at dynamic computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: In 50 HCC nodules before treatment, positive enhancement of tumor vessels and tumor parenchymal flow (stain) were observed in 47 (94%) and 46 (92%), respectively. Either tumor vessel or stain was visualized with coded harmonic US in 49 of 50 nodules. Eighty-one coded harmonic US studies were performed in 49 posttreatment HCC nodules. Compared with dynamic CT, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of coded harmonic US in helping to detect positive enhancement in pretreatment HCC were 98% (49 of 50), 100% (50 of 50), and 98% (49 of 50), respectively. After treatment, positive enhancement of tumor vascularity was observed in 39 (48%) of 81 posttreatment studies, and no enhancement was observed in others (52%). Coded harmonic US demonstrated partial and no enhancement of tumor vascularity in four and one nodule, respectively; after transcatheter arterial embolization with iodized oil, evaluation of tumor vascularity with dynamic CT was difficult because of the presence of oil. CONCLUSION: With enhancement, coded harmonic US depicted tumor vascularity by showing tumor vessels in a real-time fashion at continuous imaging and tumor parenchymal flow at interval-delay scanning.