Hepatic cystic lesions mimicking liver abscess on imaging: A report oftwo cases

Hepatic cystic lesions include congenital dysplasia,inflammatory cystic lesions,neoplastic cystic lesions and parasitic cystic lesions.As different treatment modalities can be chosen for these lesions,differential diagnosis is particularly important[1].Clinical features or imaging findings of cystic lesions of the liver are typical;for instance,liver abscess often shows thick-walled enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT.

Percutaneous ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy of solid pancreatic lesions: An analysis of 1074 lesions

Backgrounds:Percutaneous ultrasound(US)and endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided pancreatic biopsies are widely accepted in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.Studies comparing the diagnostic performance of US-and EUS-guided pancreatic biopsies are lacking.This study aimed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic yields of US-and EUS-guided pancreatic biopsies and identify the risk factors for inconclusive biopsies.Methods:Of the 1074 solid pancreatic lesions diagnosed from January 2017 to February 2021 in our center,275 underwent EUS-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA),and 799 underwent US-guided core needle biopsy(US-CNB/FNA).The outcomes were inconclusive pathological biopsy,diagnostic accuracy and the need for repeat biopsy.All of the included factors and diagnostic performances of both USCNB/FNA and EUS-FNA were compared,and the independent predictors for the study outcomes were identified.Results:The diagnostic accuracy was 89.8%for EUS-FNA and 95.2%for US-CNB/FNA(P=0.001).Biopsy under EUS guidance[odds ratio(OR)=1.808,95%confidence interval(CI):1.083-3.019;P=0.024],lesion size<2 cm(OR=2.069,95%CI:1.145-3.737;P=0.016),hypoechoic appearance(OR=0.274,95%CI:0.097-0.775;P=0.015)and non-pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma carcinoma(PDAC)diagnosis(OR=2.637,95%CI:1.563-4.449;P<0.001)were identified as factors associated with inconclusive pathological biopsy.Hypoechoic appearance(OR=0.236,95%CI:0.064-0.869;P=0.030),lesions in the uncinate process of the pancreas(OR=3.506,95%CI:1.831-6.713;P<0.001)and non-PDAC diagnosis(OR=2.622,95%CI:1.278-5.377;P=0.009)were independent predictors for repeat biopsy.Biopsy under EUS guidance(OR=2.024,95%CI:1.195-3.429;P=0.009),lesions in the uncinate process of the pancreas(OR=1.776,95%CI:1.014-3.108;P=0.044)and hypoechoic appearance(OR=0.127,95%CI:0.047-0.347;P<0.001)were associated with diagnostic accuracy.Conclusions:In conclusion,both percutaneous US-and EUS-guided biopsies of solid pancreatic lesions are safe and effective;though the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA is inferior to US-CNB/FNA.A tailored pancreatic biopsy should be considered a part of the management algorithm for the diagnosis of solid pancreatic disease.

Major complications after ultrasound-guided liver biopsy:An annual audit of a Chinese tertiary-care teaching hospital

BACKGROUND As ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy(PLB)has become a standard and important method in the management of liver disease in our country,a periodical audit of the major complications is needed.AIM To determine the annual incidence of major complications following ultrasoundguided PLB and to identify variables that are significantly associated with an increased risk of major complications.METHODS A total of 1857 consecutive cases of PLB were included in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2021.The major complication rate and all-cause 30-d mortality rate were determined.Multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression to investigate the risk factors associated with major complications and all-cause 30-d mortality following ultrasound-guided PLB.RESULTS In this audit of 1857 liver biopsies,10 cases(0.53%)of major complications occurred following ultrasound-guided PLB.The overall all-cause mortality rate at 30 d after PLB was 0.27%(5 cases).Two cases(0.11%)were attributed to major hemorrhage within 7 d after liver biopsy.Fibrinogen less than 2 g/L[odds ratio(OR):17.226;95%confidence interval(CI):2.647-112.102;P=0.003],post-biopsy hemoglobin level(OR:0.963;95%CI:0.942-0.985;P=0.001),obstructive jaundice(OR:6.698;95%CI:1.133-39.596;P=0.036),application of anticoagulants/antiplatelet medications(OR:24.078;95%CI:1.678-345.495;P=0.019)and age(OR:1.096;95%CI:1.012-1.187;P=0.025)were statistically associated with the incidence of major complications after PLB.CONCLUSION In conclusion,the results of this annual audit confirmed that ultrasound-guided PLB can be performed safely,with a major complication rate within the accepted range.Strict patient selection and peri-biopsy laboratory assessment are more important than procedural factors for optimizing the safety outcomes of this procedure.

Quantitative and noninvasive assessment of chronic liver diseases using two-dimensional shear wave elastography

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography(2D-SWE) is a rapid, simple and novel noninvasive method that has been proposed for assessing hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases(CLDs) based on measurements of liver stiffness. 2 D-SWE can be performed easily at the bedside or in an outpatient clinic and yields immediate results with good reproducibility. Furthermore, 2 D-SWE was an efficient method for evaluating liver fibrosis in small to moderately sized clinical trials. However, the quality criteria for the staging of liver fibrosis are not yet well defined. Liver fibrosis is the main pathological basis of liver stiffness and a key step in the progression from CLD to cirrhosis; thus, the management of CLD largely depends on the extent and progression of liver fibrosis. 2 D-SWE appears to be an excellent tool for the early detection of cirrhosis and may have prognostic value in this context. Because 2 D-SWE has high patient acceptance, it could be useful for monitoring fibrosis progression and regression in individual cases. However, multicenter data are needed to support its use. This study reviews the current status and future perspectives of 2 D-SWE for assessments of liver fibrosis and discusses the technical advantages and limitations that impact its effective and rational clinical use.

Application of superb microvascular imaging in focal liver lesions

AIM To explore the ability of superb microvascular imaging(SMI) in differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions(FLLs) and to compare SMI morphology findings to those of color Doppler ultrasound and enhanced imaging.METHODS Twenty-four patients with 31 FLLs were included in our study,with diagnoses of hemangioma(HE)(n = 17),hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)(n = 5),metastatic lesions(n = 5),primary hepatic lymphoma(n = 1),focal nodular hyperplasia(FNH)(n = 2),and adenoma(n = 1). Nine lesions were pathologically diagnosed,and 22 lesions were radiologically confirmed,all of which were evaluated by at least two types of enhanced imaging techniques. All patients had undergone SMI. Patients were divided into subgroups based on pathological and radiological diagnoses to analyze SMI manifestations. We also compared the SMI manifestations of the most common malignant FLLs(HCCs and metastatic lesions) with those of the most common benign FLLs(HEs).RESULTS HEs were classified into three SMI subgroups: diffuse dot-like type(n = 6),strip rim type(n = 8),and nodular rim type(n = 3). The sizes of the three types of HEs were significantly different(P = 0.00,< 0.05). HCCs were classified into two subgroups: diffuse honeycomb type(n = 2) and non-specific type(n = 3). Four of the metastatic lesions were the strip rim type,and the other metastatic lesion was the thick rim type,which is the same as that of lymphoma. FNH was described as a spoke-wheel type,and adenoma as a diffuse honeycomb type. The SMI types of HCCs and metastatic lesions were significantly different from those of HEs(P = 0.048,< 0.05).CONCLUSION SMI technology enables microvascular evaluation of FLLs without using any contrast agent. For HEs,lesion size may affect SMI performance. SMI is able to provide useful information for differential diagnosis of HCCs and metastatic lesions from HEs.

A large congenital and solitary intrahepatic arterioportal fistula in an old woman

Arterioportal fistula(APF)is a rare cause of portal hypertension and may lead to death.APF can be congenital,post-traumatic,iatrogenic(transhepatic intervention or biopsy)or related to ruptured hepatic artery aneurysms.Congenital APF is a rare condition even in children.In this case report,we describe a 73-year-old woman diagnosed as APF by ultrasonography,computed tomography,and hepatic artery selective arteriography.The fistula was embolized twice but failed,and she still suffered from alimentary tract hemorrhage.Then,selective arteriography of the hepatic artery was performed again and venae coronaria ventriculi and short gastric vein were embolized.During the 2-year follow-up,the patient remained asymptomatic.We therefore argue that embolization of venae coronaria ventriculi and short gastric vein may be an effective treatment modality for intrahepatic APF with severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Balloon dilator controls massive bleeding during endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage for pancreatic pseudocyst:A case report and review of literature

Pancreatic pseudocyst(PPC), a common sequela of acute or chronic pancreatitis, was defined by the revised Atlanta classification as "a collection." Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided drainage is often considered a standard first-line therapy for patients with symptomatic PPC. This effective approach exhibits 90%-100% technical success and 85%-98% clinical success. Bleeding is a deadly adverse event associated with EUS-guided drainage procedures, and the bleeding rate ranges from 3% to 14%. Hemostasis involves conservative treatment, endoscopy, interventional radiology-guided embolization and surgery. However, few studies have reported on EUSguided drainage with massive, multiple hemorrhages related to severe pancreatogenic portal hypertension(PPH). Thus, the aim of this case report was to present a case using a balloon dilator to achieve successful hemostasis for PPH-related massive bleeding in EUSguided drainage of PPC. To our knowledge, this method has not been previously reported.

A score model for predicting post-liver transplantation survival in HBV cirrhosis-related hepatocellular carcinoma recipients: a single center 5-year experience

BACKGROUND： The prognostic prediction of liver transplantation（LT） guides the donor organ allocation. However, there is currently no satisfactory model to predict the recipients’ outcome, especially for the patients with HBV cirrhosis-related hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC）. The present study was to develop a quantitative assessment model for predicting the post-LT survival in HBV-related HCC patients.METHODS： Two hundred and thirty-eight LT recipients at the Liver Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between 2008 and 2013 were included in this study. Their post-LT prognosis was recorded and multiple risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses in Cox regression.RESULTS： The score model was as follows： 0.114×（Child-Pugh score）-0.002×（positive HBV DNA detection time）＋0.647×（number of tumor nodules）＋0.055×（max diameter of tumor nodules）＋0.231×ln AFP＋0.437×（tumor differentiation grade）.The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the scoring model for predicting the post-LT survival was 0.887. The cut-off value was 1.27, which was associated with a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 90.7%, respectively.CONCLUSION： The quantitative score model for predicting post-LT survival proved to be sensitive and specific.

Algorithm for the multidisciplinary management of hemorrhage in EUS-guided drainage for pancreatic fluid collections

Pancreatic fluid collections(PFCs),common sequelae of acute or chronic pancreatitis,are broadly classified as pancreatic pseudocysts or walled-off necrosis according to the revised Atlanta classification.Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided drainage is often considered a standard first-line therapy preferable to surgical or interventional radiology approaches for patients with symptomatic PFC.EUS-guided drainage is effective and successful;it has a technical success rate of90%-100%and a clinical success rate of 85%-98%.Recent studies have shown a 5%-30%adverse events(AEs)rate for the procedure.The most common AEs include infection,hemorrhage,perforation and stent migration.Hemorrhage,a severe and sometimes deadly outcome,requires a well-organized and appropriate treatment strategy.However,few studies have reported the integrated management of hemorrhage during EUS-guided drainage of PFC.Establishing a practical therapeutic strategy is an essential and significant step in standardized management.The aim of this review is to describe the current situation of EUS-guided drainage of PFCs,including the etiology and treatment of procedure-related bleeding as well as current problems and future perspectives.We propose a novel and meaningful algorithm for systematically managing hemorrhage events.To our limited knowledge,a multidisciplinary algorithm for managing EUS-guided drainage for PFC-related bleeding has not been previously reported.

Postmenopausal women with hyperandrogenemia:Three case reports

BACKGROUND Diagnosing hyperandrogenemia in postmenopausal women is very difficult.It occasionally manifests as excessive hair growth or with no clinical manifestations,and is therefore often misdiagnosed or missed altogether.Ovarian steroid cell tumors that cause hyperandrogenemia in women account for approximately 0.1%of all ovarian tumors.Due to the low incidence,corresponding imaging reports are rare,so ovarian steroid cell tumors lacks typical imaging findings to differ-entiate it from other ovarian tumors.Therefore,we summarized its clinical and imaging characteristics through this case series,and elaborated on the differential diagnosis of steroid cell tumors.CASE SUMMARY We report three cases of postmenopausal women with hyperandrogenemia.Only 1 patient showed virilization symptoms,the other two patients were completely asymptomatic.All patients underwent total hysterectomy+bilateral adnexe-ctomy.Histological results showed one case of Leydig cell tumor and two cases of benign,non-specific steroid cell tumor.After the operation,the androgen levels of all patients returned to normal,and there was no clinical recurrence since follow-up.CONCLUSION Although virilization caused by increased serum testosterone levels is an important clinical feature of ovarian steroid cell tumors,it is often asymptomatic.A solid,slightly hypoechoic,round or oval mass with uniform internal echo,richer blood flow in the solid part,and low resistance index are typical imaging features of ovarian steroid cell tumors.Diagnosis of ovarian steroid cell tumors after menopause is challenging,but surgery can be used for both diagnosis and clear treatment.

Chinese clinical practice guidelines for ultrasound-guided irreversible electroporation of liver cancer(version 2022)

Introduction Liver cancer remains a global health challenge,and its incidence is increasing worldwide.It is estimated that by 2025,more than one million individuals will be affected by liver cancer annually[1,2].In recent years,ablation has become a widely accepted treatment option for patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies[3].The commonly used ablation method for liver cancer is thermal ablation,including radiofrequency ablation.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with tumor diameter larger than 5 cm

Herein we reported 5 patients of mass-type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)misdiagnosed as liver abscess by contrast-enhanced CT,the diagnosis was confirmed through contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)imaging and pathology.From January 2015 to January 2018,five patients(1 male and 4 females)were confirmed as ICC by surgical resection or biopsy in Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province,with average age of(74.2±5.6)years.These 5 ICC patients were misdiagnosed as liver abscess by contrast-enhanced CT and later on。

Virtual navigation-guided radiofrequency ablation for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma invisible on ultrasound after hepatic resection

Background:No reports are available on the technical efficiency and therapeutic response of virtual navigation(VN)-guided radiofrequency ablation(RFA)for patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after hepatic resection.The aim of this study was to investigate the overall technical performance and outcome of VN-guided RFA in recurrent HCC patients.In addition,a nomogram model was developed to predict the factors influencing the overall survival(OS).Methods:This was a prospective study on 76 recurrent HCC patients who underwent VN-guided RFA between June 2015 and February 2018.The technical feasibility,success,and efficiency,OS,local tumor progression,and complications were evaluated.A multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to predict the significant factors,and a nomogram including independent predictive factors was subsequently plotted to predict OS.Results:The technical feasibility,success,and efficiency rates of VN-guided RFA were 86.4%,94.7%,and 97.4%,respectively.The cumulative OS rates at 1-,2-,and 3-year were 88.1%,79.7%,and 71.0%,respectively.The cumulative local tumor progression rates at 1-,2-,and 3-year were 5.5%,8.7%,and 14.0%,respectively.In addition,the minor and major complication rates were 5.3%and 3.9%,respectively.No intervention-related deaths occurred during the follow-up period.The C-index of the OS nomogram in this study was 0.737.Conclusions:VN-guided RFA is an effective therapeutic option in recurrent HCC patients and improves the long-term outcomes especially for the lesions that cannot be detected in the two-dimensional ultrasound.Besides,the nomogram may be a useful supporting tool in predicting OS to estimate the individual survival probability,optimize treatment options,and facilitate decision-making.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in mediastinal leiomyosarcoma mimicking aortic hematoma:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Primary mediastinal leiomyosarcomas are extremely rare.We report a case of leiomyosarcoma around the thoracic and abdominal aorta,mimicking an aortic hematoma,and discuss the diagnostic value of ultrasound.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old female was hospitalized for abdominal pain.Initial computed tomography angiography revealed an enhanced mass around the lower thoracic and upper abdominal aorta.Aortic hematoma was strongly suspected,and stents were placed by interventional surgery.About 1 mo postoperatively,the patient was re-hospitalized because of progressive abdominal pain.Ultrasound showed that the mass had a heterogeneous echo.In contrast-enhanced ultrasound,the hyperechoic regions were filled with contrast medium after the aortic region was,indicating that the blood supply was abundant but had no direct connection with the aorta.There was no obvious contrast medium-filling in the hypoechoic area.These findings were similar to those of malignant tumors with liquefaction and necrosis.Positron emission tomography/computed tomography confirmed that the mass had a high metabolic signal similar to that of a malignant tumor.Leiomyosarcoma was confirmed by postoperative pathology.CONCLUSION Symptoms of mediastinal leiomyosarcoma surrounding the aorta may mimic aortic hematoma.Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can provide valuable and unique diagnostic clues.

Reply to: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A cost-effective alternative for low-resource settings

The Author Reply: We thank Pitcairn et al. [1] for their discussion of our study recently published in Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases International [2]. They highlighted the added value that contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) can present in low-resource settings, where other diagnostic modalities may be neither cost-effective nor readily available. We agree with their point. In addition, we also would like to highlight that CEUS is safer for human body than computed tomography(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).