Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound in differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Non-invasive differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and other liver cancer(i.e.cholangiocarcinoma or metastasis)is highly challenging and definitive diagnosis still relies on histological exam.The patterns of enhancement and wash-out of liver nodules can be used to stratify the risk of malignancy only in cirrhotic patients and HCC frequently shows atypical features.Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound(DCEUS)with standardized software could help to overcome these obstacles,providing functional and quantitative parameters and potentially improving accuracy in the evaluation of tumor perfusion.AIM To explore clinical evidence regarding the application of DCEUS in the differential diagnosis of liver nodules.METHODS A comprehensive literature search of clinical studies was performed to identify the parameters of DCEUS that could relate to histological diagnosis.In accordance with the study protocol,a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the evidence was planned.RESULTS Rise time was significantly higher in HCC patients with a standardized mean difference(SMD)of 0.83(95%CI:0.48-1.18).Similarly,other statistically significant parameters were mean transit time local with a SMD of 0.73(95%CI:0.20-1.27),peak enhancement with a SMD of 0.37(95%CI:0.03-0.70),area wash-in area under the curve with a SMD of 0.47(95%CI:0.13-0.81),wash-out area under the curve with a SMD of 0.55(95%CI:0.21-0.89)and wash-in and wash-out area under the curve with SMD of 0.51(95%CI:0.17-0.85).SMD resulted not significant in fall time and wash-in rate,but the latter presented a trend towards greater values in HCC compared to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.CONCLUSION DCEUS could improve non-invasive diagnosis of HCC,leading to less liver biopsy and early treatment.This quantitative analysis needs to be applied on larger cohorts to confirm these preliminary results.

Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound on Different Types of Knee Osteoarthritis in the Elderly

Objective: To evaluate the curative effect of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external therapy on knee osteoarthritis patients with different TCM constitutions using musculoskeletal ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, and to explore the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in knee joint diseases. Methods: A total of 57 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2019 to May 2021 were collected, and they were divided into qi stagnation and blood stasis type group (23 cases) and cold-dampness obstruction type group (34 cases) according to the traditional Chinese medicine method. All patients were given acupuncture combined with TCM fumigation and washing. All patients underwent musculoskeletal ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography before and after treatment, observed and recorded relevant data, and compared the treatment effects between the two groups. Results: 85.96% (49/57) of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients had suprapatellar bursa effusion, 42.1% (24/57) had iliotibial band bursae effusion, some of which had poor sound transmission, and thickened synovium was seen in most effusions, 33.33% (19/57) had osteophyte formation. Compared with before treatment, the depth of suprapatellar sac effusion in the Qi stagnation and blood stasis type group decreased after treatment (P Conclusion: Musculoskeletal contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was used to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of TCM external therapy on KOA for different TCM constitutions. Dynamic observation of synovial lesions of knee osteoarthritis provides a valuable imaging method for evaluating the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine.

常规超声联合CEUS特征与乳腺癌术后复发转移的相关性分析

目的:探讨常规超声联合超声造影(contrast-enhanced ultrasound,CEUS)特征在预测乳腺癌术后复发转移情况中的应用价值。方法:纳入2016年1月—2017年12月在南京医科大学第一附属医院行乳腺癌手术且经病理学检查证实为乳腺癌的139例女性患者作为研究对象,分析这些患者5年内复发转移情况,其中未复发转移组126例,复发转移组13例(复发患者3例,转移患者10例),采用单因素及多因素logistic回归分析两组患者常规超声及CEUS特征与乳腺癌术后复发转移情况的相关性,建立常规超声联合CEUS模型并分析其诊断效能。结果:单因素分析显示,造影剂分布特征(不均匀)、造影后病灶边界(不清晰)、生长方位(垂直)、淋巴结血供(非淋巴门型)差异有统计学意义;logistic回归分析显示,造影剂分布特征(OR=5.686,P=0.047)、生长方位(OR=5.190,P=0.015)以及淋巴结血供(OR=6.725,P=0.006)是术后复发转移的独立危险因素。通过筛选出的危险因素构建常规超声联合CEUS模型。造影剂分布特征、生长方位、淋巴结血供及常规超声联合CEUS模型的受试者工作特征(receiver operating characteristic,ROC)曲线的曲线下面积分别为0.677、0.677、0.685、0.841,较单因素模型有较高的准确度。结论:本研究建立的常规超声联合CEUS模型在预测乳腺癌术后复发转移方面具有一定的临床价值。可为乳腺外科医师治疗前针对具有复发风险患者改进治疗方案提供参考依据。

CEUS、CE-MRI在肝细胞癌经TACE和微波消融介入治疗后随访中的应用分析

目的探究对比超声造影(CEUS)、对比增强磁共振成像(CE-MRI)在肝细胞癌经动脉化疗栓塞(TACE)和微波消融介入治疗后随访中的应用。方法回顾性选取2019年8月至2022年5月在重庆市綦江区人民医院进行治疗的肝细胞癌患者102例(156个病灶),所有患者均接受TACE或微波消融介入治疗,治疗后均进行CEUS、CE-MRI检查,并以数字减影血管造影(DSA)检查结果为金标准,对复发患者和非复发患者的检查结果进行分析,探究上述两种检查方法对患者预后评估的准确性,随访期为1年。结果DSA检查结果:102例肝细胞癌患者术后1年内38例(52个病灶)患者存在复发情况,64例(104个病灶)患者未发生复发情况。复发组与未复发组患者在门静脉增强、延迟性增强、瘤周强化及廓清时间方面比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05),但两组在动脉期增强、始增时间表、达峰时间方面比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。复发组患者治疗前及治疗后肿瘤体积均大于未复发组,治疗后的ADC值小于未复发组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。与术前瘤区相比较,术后肿瘤坏死区、碘油沉积区的ADC值均升高,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05),但肿瘤复发区与术前瘤区的ADC值比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。38例复发组患者共56个病灶进行CEUS及CE-MRI检查,在患者术前术后病灶体长短径及评估中,二者评估结果比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),对患者术后残留活性病灶数进行检查,CE-MRI的检出率高于CEUS,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。经DSA检查,确诊复发的38例患者经CEUS、CE-MRI检查确诊为复发的分别为29、34例;未复发的64例患者中经CEUS、CE-MRI检查确诊为未复发的分别为62、63例。CE-MRI检查与DSA检查结果一致性检验Kappa值为0.893,高于CEUS检查与DSA检查结果一致性检验Kappa值(0.760)(P<0.05)。以DSA检查结果为金标准,患者经CEUS检查复发的准确率、敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为89.22%、87.32%、93.55%、96.88%、76.32%;经CE-MRI检查复发的准确率、敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为95.10%、94.03%、97.14%、98.44%、89.47%。结论肝细胞癌患者行TACE和微波消融介入治疗后,以DSA为金标准,应用CEUS、CE-MRI对患者复发情况评估时,CE-MRI一致性高于CEUS。

CEUS联合2DUS对乳腺良恶性病变的诊断价值

目的:以病理学检查为“金标准”,探讨超声造影(contrast-enhanced ultrasound,CEUS)联合二维超声(2D ultrasound,2DUS)对乳腺良恶性病变的鉴别诊断价值。方法:收集2018年2月—2023年8月于同济大学附属第十人民医院行乳腺2DUS及CEUS检查并经病理学检查确诊的1 299例女性乳腺病变患者。患者进行2DUS乳腺影像报告和数据系统(Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System,BI-RADS)分类和CEUS联合2DUS检查,对比分析乳腺良恶性病变的CEUS特征,以及两种检查方式下的灵敏度、特异度、准确度、阳性预测值和阴性预测值。结果:根据病理学检查结果将1 299例患者分为良性病变组807例和恶性病变组492例,与2DUS BI-RADS分类检查相比较,CEUS联合2DUS检查的灵敏度(96.1%)及准确度(88.8%)均明显提高,并且针对BI-RADS 4类病变良恶性检出具有较高的灵敏度(95.9%)。结论:CEUS联合2DUS能够显著提高对乳腺良恶性病变的鉴别诊断效能,具有较高的诊断价值。

全氟丁烷超声造影联合CEUS LI-RADS对肝细胞癌的诊断价值

目的探讨全氟丁烷超声造影对HCC的诊断性能。方法回顾性分析84例行全氟丁烷超声造影患者的影像资料,观察病灶在血管相及在血管后相(Kupffer相)的表现。参照CEUS LI-RADS 5类标准,出现APHE伴延迟(≥60 s)/轻度廓清;将血管后相低增强代替延迟或轻度廓清,以动脉期高增强(APHE)伴血管后相低增强为诊断标准。以病理结果及影像学随访为最终的金标准。分析两种方法对HCC的诊断效能。结果84例患者中恶性病灶65个,良性病灶19个。CEUS LR-5类的敏感度、特异度、准确度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值和约登指数分别为76.3%、93.1%、82.1%、95.5%、67.5%和0.695;APHE联合血管后相低增强的敏感度、特异度、准确度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值和约登指数分别为81.8%、93.1%、85.7%、95.7%、73.0%、0.749。APHE联合血管后相敏感度明显提高,差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=11.58,P<0.05)。两种诊断方法与金标准相比,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论以APHE联合血管后相低增强作为HCC诊断标准具有较高的灵敏度,全氟丁烷特有的血管后相可以为HCC的无创诊断提供更多的信息。

AFP阴性肝硬化肝癌MRI与CEUS表现及诊断价值分析

目的分析甲胎蛋白(AFP)阴性肝硬化肝癌磁共振成像(MRI)与超声造影(CEUS)表现及诊断价值。方法选取2020年6月~2022年6月我院AFP阴性肝硬化肝癌患者62例为肝癌组,同期选取肝硬化结节患者44例为结节组。均行MRI、CEUS检查。比较两组临床资料、MRI表现、CEUS表现,分析MRI、CEUS及MRI联合CEUS对增生结节及早期肝癌的诊断价值。结果肝癌组与结节组性别、年龄、体质量指数、肝硬化病程、AFP、AST、ALT、病灶直径比较,P>0.05,因此不具有统计学意义。MRI表现:两组在T1WI、T2WI以及DWI等方面的信号没有明显差异;而在动态增强扫描中,肝癌组的动脉期存在显著强化,门脉期及延迟期造影剂迅速廓清,而结节组表现各异,无明显规律;肝癌组病灶ADC值低于结节组(P<0.05)。CEUS表现:不同时相增强程度:肝癌组与结节组CEUS动脉期、门脉期、延迟期增强强度比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);肝癌组CEUS起始时间、达峰时间短于结节组,峰值强度、曲线下面积、曲线尖度高于结节组(P<0.05)。以病理结果为金标准,MRI、CEUS对AFP阴性肝癌及肝硬化结节均具有较高的诊断一致性,MRI联合CEUS诊断敏感性为98.39%(61/62),特异性为88.64%(39/44),准确性为94.34%(100/106),阳性预测值为92.42%(61/66),阴性预测值为97.50%(39/40),Kappa值为0.863;MRI联合CEUS诊断敏感性、Kappa值高于单独诊断(P<0.05)。结论AFP阴性肝硬化肝癌具有一定特征的MRI与CEUS表现,二者联合可提高对AFP阴性肝硬化肝癌的鉴别诊断价值。

CEUS LI-RADS联合人工智能辅助决策模型对肝细胞癌的诊断价值评估

目的评估超声肝脏造影报告及数据管理系统(CEUS LI-RADS)联合人工智能辅助决策模型对肝细胞癌的诊断价值。方法选取88例肝细胞肿瘤患者,均通过CEUS LI-RADS评估肝细胞肿瘤的良性与恶性,根据CEUS LI-RADS结果采用人工智能辅助决策模型进行诊断,比较CEUS LI-RADS和人工智能辅助决策模型对肝细胞癌的单独诊断结果与联合诊断价值,并分析CEUS LI-RADS在不同病理特征肝细胞肿瘤诊断中的价值。结果CEUS LI-RADS联合人工智能辅助决策模型对肝细胞癌的诊断灵敏度、准确度高于单一方案诊断,漏诊率低于单一方案诊断,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。肝细胞肿瘤<5 cm的阳性患者和阴性患者CEUS LI-RADS分类LR-1~LR-3、LR-4、LR-5之间有显著差异(P<0.05)。肝细胞肿瘤≥5 cm阳性患者和阴性患者LR-1~LR-3、LR-5之间有显著差异(P<0.05)。不同分化程度肝细胞癌患者CEUS LI-RADS分类LR-3、LR-5之间有显著差异(P<0.05)。结论CEUS LI-RADS联合人工智能辅助决策模型对于肝细胞癌诊断准确度、灵敏度较高,可有效提高肝细胞癌诊断效能,降低漏诊率。

value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of gallbladder lesion

AIM To describe contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) features and evaluate differential diagnosis value of CEUS and conventional ultrasound for patients with benign and malignant gallbladder lesions. METHODS This study included 105 gallbladder lesions. Before surgical resection and pathological examination, conventional ultrasound and CEUS were performed to examine for lesions. Then, all the lesions were diagnosed as(1) benign,(2) probably benign,(3) probably malignant or(4) malignant using both conventional ultrasound and CEUS. The CEUS features of these gallbladder lesions were analyzed and diagnostic efficiency between conventional ultrasound and CEUS was compared.RESULTS There were total 17 cases of gallbladder cancer and 88 cases of benign lesion. Some gallbladder lesions had typical characteristics on CEUS(e.g., gallbladder adenomyomatosis had typical characteristics of small nonenhanced areas on CEUS). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of CEUS were 94.1%, 95.5%, 80.0%, 98.8%and 95.2%, respectively. These were significantly higher than conventional ultrasound(82.4%, 89.8%, 60.9%, 96.3% and 88.6%, respectively). CEUS had an accuracy of 100% for gallbladder sludge and CEUS helped in differential diagnosis among gallbladder polyps, gallbladder adenoma and gallbladder cancer.CONCLUSION CEUS may provide more useful information and improve the diagnosis efficiency for the diagnosis of gallbladder lesions than conventional ultrasound.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of histologically proven hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

AIM: To analyze contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) features of histologically proven hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma(HEHE) in comparison to other multilocular benign focal liver lesions(FLL).METHODS: Twenty-five patients with histologically proven HEHE and 45 patients with histologically proven multilocular benign FLL were retrospectively reviewed. Four radiologists assessed the CEUS enhancement pattern in consensus.RESULTS: HEHE manifested as a single(n = 3) or multinodular(n = 22) FLL. On CEUS, HEHE showed rim-like(18/25, 72%) or heterogeneous hyperenhancement(7/25, 28%) in the arterial phase and hypoenhancement(25/25, 100%) in the portal venous and late phases(PVLP), a sign of malignancy. Eighteen patients showed central unenhanced areas(18/25, 72%); in seven patients(7/25, 28%), more lesions were detected in the PVLP. In contrast, all patients with hemangioma and focal nodular hyperplasia showed hyperenhancement as the most distinctive feature(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: CEUS allows for characterization of unequivocal FLL. By analyzing the hypoenhancement in the PVLP, CEUS can determine the malignant nature of HEHE.

Liver metastases:Contrast-enhanced ultrasound compared with computed tomography and magnetic resonance

The development of ultrasound contrast agents with excellent tolerance and safety profiles has notably improved liver evaluation with ultrasound(US)for several applications,especially for the detection of metastases.In particular,contrast enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS)allows the display of the parenchymal microvasculature,enabling the study and visualization of the enhancement patterns of liver lesions in real time and in a continuous manner in all vascular phases,which is similar to contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.Clinical studies have reported that the use of a contrast agent enables the visualization of more metastases with significantly improved sensitivity and specificity compared to baseline-US.Furthermore,studies have shown that CEUS yields sensitivities comparable to CT.In this review,we describe the state of the art of CEUS for detecting colorectal liver metastases,the imaging features,the literature reports of metastases in CEUS as well as its technique,its clinical role and its potential applications.Additionally,the updated international consensus panel guidelines are reported in this review with the inherent limitations of this technique and best practice experiences.

Role of Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound in Radiofrequency Ablation of Metastatic Liver Carcinoma

Objective： To investigate the application of contrast enhanced ultrasound （CEUS） in planning and guiding for radiofrequency ablation （RFA） for metastatic liver carcinoma （MLC）. Methods： One hundred and thirty-five patients with clinically and pathologically diagnosed MLC （from gastrointestinal tumors） were included in the present study, and 104 of them had received CEUS prior to RFA to assess the number, size, shape, infiltration, location and enhancing features of the lesions. Among the 204 patients, 21 （20.1%） were excluded from RFA treatment due to too many lesions or large infiltrative range based on CEUS. The remaining 83 patients with 147 lesions underwent RFA （group A）. During the same period, other 32 patients with 202 lesions serving as control group were treated based on findings of conventional ultrasound without contrast （group B）. The patients underwent follow-up enhanced CT at the 1st month, and then every 3-6 months after RFA. The tumor was considered as early necrosis if no contrast enhancement was detected in the treated area on the CT scan at the 2st month. Results： In group A, 72 of 147 MLC lesions （48.9%） showed increased sizes on CEUS. Among them, 48 lesions （66.6%） appeared enlarged in arterial phase, and 24 （33.3%） showed enlarged hypoechoic area in parenchymal phase. CEUS showed total 61 additional lesions in 35 patients （42.2%） （ranged from 8 to 15 mm） compared with conventional ultrasound （US）, and 42 （68.8%） of them were visualized in parenchymal phase only. There were total 208 lesions in group A underwent RFA with CEUS planning, and the tumor necrosis rate was 94.2% （196/208）. In this group, local recurrence was found in 26 lesions （7.7%） during 3-42 months＇ following up, and new metastases were seen in 30 cases （36.2%）. For group B, the tumor necrosis rate was 86.3% （88/202）, local recurrence in 27 lesions （16.7%）, and new metastases in 13 cases （41.9%）. Tumor early necrosis and recurrence rates were significantly different between the two groups （P=0.018, P=0.016, respectively）. Conclusion： CEUS played an important role in RFA for liver metastases by candidate selecting and therapy planning, which helped to improve the outcome of the treatment.

Effect of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on differential diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and arterial phase enhanced hepatic inflammatory lesions

Objective: To investigate differential diagnosis between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and arterial phase enhanced hepatic inflammatory lesions in patients without liver cirrhosis using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Methods: ICC and hepatic inflammatory lesions cases with CEUS and pathological diagnosis between Sep 2013 and Oct 2016 were investigated retrospectively. Imaging features of conventional ultrasound and CEUS were analyzed. The parameters of time intensity curve (TIC), including the arrival time, peak intensity (PI) in the lesions, the starting time for washout, and the intensity difference at 3 min (Delta I-3) after contrast agent infection between the lesion and the liver parenchyma, were compared between ICC and hepatic inflammatory lesions. Results: Twenty-five ICC and fifteen inflammatory patients were included in this study. Seventeen ICC (68.0%) and two inflammatory cases (13.3%) showed bile duct dilatation on conventional ultrasound. Using CEUS, three ICC cases (12.0%) were misdiagnosed as inflammatory lesions and three inflammatory lesions (20.0%) as ICC; two ICC (8.0%) and one inflammatory case (6.7%) could not be made definite diagnosis. Washout started at 34.5 +/- 3.5 s and 61.5 +/- 12.9 s for ICC and inflammatory lesions respectively (P < 0.001). The intensity difference between lesion and liver parenchyma at 3 min after contrast agent injection was 10.8 +/- 3.1 dB in ICC and 4.2 +/- 2.3 dB in inflammatory group (P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity differentiating ICC and inflammatory lesions were 76% and 87% if the cut-off value of the intensity difference was 7.7 dB. Conclusions: Combined with TIC analysis, and particularly with the characteristic of the early-starting and obvious washout in ICC, CEUS can be useful in differential diagnosis between hepatic inflammatory lesions and ICC.

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound in discrimination between focal pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

AIM： To evaluate the contrast-enhanced endosonography as a method of differentiating inflammation from pancreatic carcinoma based on perfusion characteristics of microvessels. METHODS： In 86 patients with suspected chronic pancreatitis （age： 62± 12 years; sex： f/m 38/48）, pancreatic lesions were examined by conventional endo- scopic B-mode, power Doppler ultrasound and contrastenhanced power mode （Hitachi EUB 525, SonoVue, 2.4 mL, Bracco） using the following criteria for malignant lesions： no detectable vascularisation using conventional power Doppler scanning, irregular appearance of arterial vessels over a short distance using SonoVue contrastenhanced technique and no detectable venous vessels inside the lesion. A malignant lesion was assumed if all criteria were detectable [gold standard endoscopic ultrasound （EUS）-guided fine needle aspiration cytology, operation]. The criteria of chronic pancreatitis without neoplasia were defined as no detectable vascularisation before injection of SonoVue, regular appearance of vessels over a distance of at least 20 mm after injection of SonoVue and detection of arterial and venous vessels. RESULTS： The sensitivity and specifidty of conventional EUS were 73.2% and 83.3% respectively for pancreatic cancer. The sensitivity of contrast-enhanced EUS increased to 91.1% in 51 of 56 patients with malignant pancreatic lesion and the specificity increased to 93.3% in 28 of 30 patients with chronic inflammatory pancreatic disease.CONCLUSION： Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound improves the differentiation between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma.

Contrast enhanced ultrasound of renal masses

Contrast enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) has gained clinical importance over the last years for the characterization of hepatic masses.Its role in extrahepatic indications has been investigated repeatedly but has been less comprehensively studied.Currently more than 50% of renal masses are incidentally diagnosed,mostly by B-mode ultrasound.The method of choice for characterization of renal lesions is contrast enhanced computed tomography(CECT).In the case of cystic lesions CECT refers to the Bosniak classification for cystic lesions to assess the risk of malignant behavior.The majority of masses are renal cell carcinoma,but the exact proportion is controversial.Disadvantages of CECT are a significant risk for patients with impaired renal function,allergic reactions and hyperthyroidism due to iodinated contrast agents.Several studies concerning CEUS for the characterization of both solid and cystic renal lesions have been published,but prospective multicenter studies are missing,the presented data being mainly descriptive.The aim of the this manuscript is to review the current literature for CEUS in renal masses,to summarize the available data and focus on possible concepts for studies in the future.

Contrast-enhanced 3D ultrasound in the radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors

Liver metastases and hepatocellular carcinomas are two of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the world.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA) is a well recognized,effective and minimally invasive means of treating malignant hepatic tumors.This article describes the use of contrast-enhanced 3D ultrasound(CE-3DUS) in the staging,targeting and follow-up of patients with liver tumors undergoing RFA.In particular,its value in the management of large hepatic lesions will be illustrated.Current limitations of CE-3DUS and future developments in the technique will also be discussed.In summary,CE-3DUS is useful in the RFA of liver tumors with improved detection and display of occult lesions and recurrence,in the assessment of lesional geometry and orientation for a more accurate planning and guidance of multiple RFA needle electrodes in large tumors and in the evaluation of residual or recurrent disease within the immediate and/or subsequent follow-up periods.

Differentiation of atypical hepatic hemangioma from liver metastases: Diagnostic performance of a novel type of color contrast enhanced ultrasound

BACKGROUND In clinical practice,the diagnosis is sometimes difficult with contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)when the case has an atypical perfusion pattern.Color parametric imaging(CPI)is an analysis software for CEUS with better detection of temporal differences in CEUS imaging using arbitrary colors.It measures the differences in arrival time of the contrast agent in lesions so that the perfusion features of atypical hemangioma and colorectal cancer(CRC)liver metastasis can be distinguished.AIM To evaluate the role of a novel type of CPI of CEUS in the differential diagnosis of atypical hemangioma from liver metastases in patients with a history of CRC.METHODS From January 2016 to July 2018,42 patients including 20 cases of atypical hemangioma and 22 cases of liver metastases from CRC were enrolled.These patients had a mean age of 60.5±9.3 years(range:39-75 years).All patients received ultrasound,CEUS and CPI examinations.Resident and staff radiologists independently and retrospectively reviewed CEUS and CPI images.Two sets of criteria were assigned:(1)Routine CEUS alone;and(2)CEUS and CPI.The diagnostic sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of resident and staff radiologists were analyzed.RESULTS The following CPI features were significantly different between liver hemangioma and liver metastases analyzed by staff and resident radiologists:Peripheral nodular enhancement(65%-70.0%vs 4.5%-13.6%,P<0.001,P=0.001),mosaic/chaotic enhancement(5%-10%vs 68.2%-63.6%,P<0.001,P<0.001)and feeding artery(20%vs 59.1%-54.5%,P=0.010,P=0.021).CPI imaging offered significant improvements in detection rates compared with routine CEUS in both resident and staff groups.By resident radiologists,the specificity and accuracy of CEUS+CPI were significantly increased compared with that of CEUS(77.3%vs 45.5%,P=0.030;78.6%vs 50.0%,P=0.006).In addition,the area under the curve(AUC)of CEUS+CPI was significantly higher than that of CEUS(0.803 vs 0.757,P=0.036).By staff radiologists,accuracy was improved in CEUS+CPI(81.0%vs 54.8%,P=0.010),whereas no significant differences in specificity and sensitivity were found(P=0.144,P=0.112).The AUC of CEUS+CPI was significantly higher than that of CEUS(0.890 vs 0.825,P=0.013)by staff radiologists.CONCLUSION Compared with routine CEUS,CPI could provide specific information on the hemodynamic features of liver lesions and help to differentiate atypical hemangioma from liver metastases in patients with CRC,even for senior radiologists.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound evaluation of hepatic microvascular changes in liver diseases

AIM： To assess if software assisted-contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） provides reproducible perfu- sion parameters of hepatic parenchyma in patients af- fected by chronic liver disease. METHODS： Forty patients with chronic viral liver dis- ease, with （n = 20） or without （n = 20） cirrhosis, and 10 healthy subjects underwent CEUS and video re- cordings of each examination were then analysed with Esaote＇s Qontrast software. CEUS dedicated software Qontrast was used to determine peak （the maximum signal intensity）, time to peak （TTP）, region of blood value （RBV） proportional to the area under the time- intensity curve, mean transit time （MTT） measured in seconds and region of blood flow （RBF）. RESULTS： Qontrast-assisted CEUS parameters dis- played high inter-observer reproducibility （κ： coefficients of 0.87 for MTT and 0.90 TTP）. When the region of in-terest included a main hepatic vein, Qontrast-calculated TTP was significantly shorter in cirrhotic patients （vs non-cirrhotics and healthy subjects） （71.0 ± 11.3 s vs 82.4±15.6 s, 86.3±20.3 s, P 〈 0.05）. MTIs in the patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly shorter than those of controls （111.9±22.0 s vs 139.4±39.8 s, P 〈 0.05）, but there was no significant difference between the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic groups （111.9± 22.0 s vs 110.3 ±14.6 s）. Peak enhancement in the patients with liver cirrhosis was also higher than that observed in controls （23.9± 5.9 vs 18.9±7.1, P = 0.05）. There were no significant intergroup differences in the RBVs and RBFs. CONCLUSION： Qontrast-assisted CEUS revealed re- producible differences in liver perfusion parameters during the development of hepatic fibrogenesis.

Can contrast enhanced ultrasound differentiate intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma?

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)differ in treatment and prognosis,warranting an effective differential diagnosis between them.The LR-M category in the contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)liver imaging reporting and data system(LI-RADS)was set up for lesions that are malignant but not specific to HCC.However,a substantial number of HCC cases in this category elevated the diagnostic challenge.AIM To investigate the possibility and efficacy of differentiating ICC from HCC classified in the LR-M category according to the CEUS LI-RADS.METHODS Patients with complete CEUS records together with pathologically confirmed ICC and LR-M HCC(HCC classified in the CEUS LI-RADS LR-M category)between January 2015 and October 2018 were included in this retrospective study.Each ICC was assigned a category as per the CEUS LI-RADS.The enhancement pattern,washout timing,and washout degree between the ICC and LR-M HCC were compared using theχ2 test.Logistic regression analysis was used for prediction of ICC.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to investigate the possibility of LR-M criteria and serum tumor markers in differentiating ICC from LR-M HCC.RESULTS A total of 228 nodules(99 ICCs and 129 LR-M HCCs)in 228 patients were included.The mean sizes of ICC and LR-M HCC were 6.3±2.8 cm and 5.5±3.5 cm,respectively(P=0.03).Peripheral rim-like arterial phase hyperenhancement(APHE)was detected in 50.5%(50/99)of ICCs vs 16.3%(21/129)of LR-M HCCs(P<0.001).Early washout was found in 93.4%(93/99)of ICCs vs 96.1%(124/129)of LR-M HCCs(P>0.05).Marked washout was observed in 23.2%(23/99)of ICCs and 7.8%(10/129)of LR-M HCCs(P=0.002),while this feature did not show up alone either in ICC or LR-M HCC.Homogeneous hyperenhancement was detected in 15.2%(15/99)of ICCs and 37.2%(48/129)of LR-M HCCs(P<0.001).The logistic regression showed that rim APHE,carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA 19-9),and alpha fetoprotein(AFP)had significant correlations with ICC(r=1.251,3.074,and-2.767,respectively;P<0.01).Rim APHE presented the best enhancement pattern for diagnosing ICC,with an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.70,sensitivity of 70.4%,and specificity of 68.8%.When rim hyperenhancement was coupled with elevated CA 19-9 and normal AFP,the AUC and sensitivity improved to 0.82 and 100%,respectively,with specificity decreasing to 63.9%.CONCLUSION Rim APHE is a key predictor for differentiating ICC from LR-M HCC.Rim APHE plus elevated CA 19-9 and normal AFP is a strong predictor of ICC rather than LR-M HCC.Early washout and marked washout have limited value for the differentiation between the two entities.

Diagnostic value of contrast enhanced ultrasound for splenic artery complications following acute pancreatitis

AIM: To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing splenic artery complications (SACs) after acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: One hundred and eighteen patients with AP were enrolled in the study. All patients were examined by CEUS and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). CECT was accepted as a gold standard for the diagnosis of SACs in AP. The diagnostic accuracy of splenic CEUS and pancreatic CEUS was compared with that of CECT. Splenic infarction was the diagnostic criterion for splenic artery embolism and local dysperfusion of the splenic parenchyma was the diagnostic criterion for splenic arterial stenosis. The incidence of splenic sub-capsular hemorrhage, splenic artery aneurysms, and splenic rupture was all lower than that of SACs. RESULTS: Nine patients were diagnosed as having SACs after AP by CECT among the 118 patients. The patients with SACs were diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Among them, 6 lesions were diagnosed as splenic artery embolism, 5 as splenic artery aneurysms, and 1 as splenic arterial stenosis. No lesion was diagnosed by pancreatic CEUS and 5 lesions were diagnosed by splenic CEUS. By splenic CEUS, 4 cases were diagnosed as splenic artery embolism and 1 as splenic arterial stenosis. The accuracy of splenic CEUS in diagnosis of SACs in SAP was 41.7% (5/12), which was higher than that of pancreatic CEUS (0%). CONCLUSION: Splenic CEUS is a supplementary method for pancreatic CEUS in AP patients, which can decrease missed diagnosis of SACs. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.