Objective： To retrospectively investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation （RFA） in patients with liver metastases and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy...Objective： To retrospectively investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation （RFA） in patients with liver metastases and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of RFA assisted by CEUS. Methods： From May 2004 to September 2010, 136 patients with 219 liver metastatic lesions received CEUS examination 1 h before RFA （CEUS group）, and other 126 patients with 216 lesions without CEUS examination in the earlier period were served as a historical control group. The mean tumor size was 3.2 cm and the mean tumor number was 1.6 in the CEUS group, while 3.4 cm and 1.7 in the control group, respectively （P〉0.05）. The clinical characteristics, recurrence results and survival outcomes were compared between two groups. Results： In the CEUS group, two isoechoic tumors were not demonstrated on unenhanced ultrasonography （US）, and 63 （47%） of 134 tumors examined with CEUS were 0.3 cm larger than with unenhanced US. Furthermore, in 18.4% of 136 patients, additional 1-3 tumors were detected on CEUS. The CEUS group showed higher early tumor necrosis and lower intrahepatic recurrence than the control group. The 3-year overall survival （OS） rate and the 3-year local recurrence-free survival （LRFS） rate in the CEUS group were 50.1% and 38.3%, in contrast to 25.3% and 19.3% in the control group, respectively （P=0.002 and P〈0.001）. Conclusions： CEUS provides important information for RFA treatment in patients with liver metastases and better therapeutic effect could be attained.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is increasingly diagnosed as a result of the advances in imaging studies such as contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonanc...BACKGROUND: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is increasingly diagnosed as a result of the advances in imaging studies such as contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, FNH with atypical features can be difficult to differentiate from other benign and malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of fatty liver background on the CEUS characteristics of FNH. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with FNH were divided into two groups: group A included 14 patients with fatty liver and group B included 12 patients with normal liver background. Conventional two-dimensional ultrasonography and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) were conducted and followed by real-time dual-frame CEUS. RESULTS: On two-dimensional ultrasonography, hypoechoic nodules were present in most of the patients in group A (12/14) and hyperechoic nodules in most of those in group B (7/12). The difference in the nodule echotextures between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Nodules with centrifugal blood flow signals on CDFI were found in 6 of the 14 patients in group A and 5 of the 12 in group B (P>0.05). On CEUS, nodules with a central spoked-wheel-like enhancement pattern in the early arterial phase were observed in 8 patients in group A and those with an eccentric enhancement pattern in the remaining 6 patients. In this group, 3 patients had hypoechoic nodules in the delayed phase. Eleven of the 14 patients in this group were diagnosed accurately with CEUS. In group B, nodules with a rapid central spoked-wheel-like enhancement pattern in the early arterial phase were found in 8 patients by CEUS and those with rapid an eccentric enhancement pattern in 4. The nodules were found to be continuously enhanced in the delayed phase. All of the patients in group B were accurately diagnosed with CEUS. CONCLUSIONS: A FNH nodule on a background of fatty liver may present a hypoechoic pattern on two-dimensional ultrasonography and a hypoechoic wash-out pattern in the delayed phase on CEUS. At this time, punch biopsy is needed for the diagnosis or differential diagnosis of FNH.展开更多
AIM: To find occult metastases during hepatectomy in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM), contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography (CE-IOUS) was performed using a new microbubble agent, so...AIM: To find occult metastases during hepatectomy in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM), contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography (CE-IOUS) was performed using a new microbubble agent, sonazoid, which provides a parenchyma-specific contrast image based on its accumulation in the Kupffer cells. METHODS: Eight patients with CRCLM underwent CE- IOUS using sonazoid before hepatectomy. The liver was investigated during a late Kupffer-phase imaging, which is a valuable characteristic of sonazoid. RESULTS: CE-IOUS using sonazoid provided the early vascular- and sinusoidal-phase images for 10 min followed by the late Kupffer-phase image up to 30 min after the injection of sonazoid. IOUS did not provide new findings of metastatic lesion in the 8 patients. However, during the late Kupffer-phase image of sonazoid, a metastatic lesion was newly found in two of the 8 patients. These newly detected lesions were removed by an additional hepatectomy and histopathologically diagnosed as a metastasis. CONCLUSION: CE-IOUS using sonazoid can allow surgeons to investigate the whole liver with enough time and to find new metastases intraoperatively.展开更多
Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of chemotherapy can be performed in cases of liver-confined metastatic disease,resulting in increased local drug concentrations.Here we report the case of a 61-year-old man who presente...Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of chemotherapy can be performed in cases of liver-confined metastatic disease,resulting in increased local drug concentrations.Here we report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with an isolated large unresectable liver metastasis of colon cancer after failure of surgery and multiple administration of systemic chemotherapy.The patient was treated with a combination of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin using HAI.The tolerance was excellent and a radiological complete response was obtained after 8 cycles of HAI.The rationale for the use of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin as well as that for the combination of the 2 drugs is discussed in this paper.HAI of gemcitabine-oxaliplatin should be evaluated in further clinical trials.展开更多
Contrast agents are increasingly being used to characterize the vasculature in an organ of interest,to better delineate benign from malignant pathology and to aid in staging and directing therapeutic procedures.We rev...Contrast agents are increasingly being used to characterize the vasculature in an organ of interest,to better delineate benign from malignant pathology and to aid in staging and directing therapeutic procedures.We review the mechanisms of action of first,second and third generation contrast agents and their use in various endoscopic procedures in the gastrointestinal tract.Various applications of contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography include differentiating benign from malignant mediastinal lymphadenopathy,assessment of depth of invasion of esophageal,gastric and gall bladder cancers and visualization of the portal venous system and esophageal varices.In addition,contrast agents can be used to differentiate pancreatic lesions.The use of color Doppler further increases the ability to diagnose and differentiate various pancreatic malignancies.The sensitivity of power Doppler sonography to depict tumor neovascularization can be increased by contrast agents.Contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging is a useful aid in identifying the tumor vasculature and studying pancreatic microperfusion.In the future,these techniques could potentially be used to quantify tumor perfusion,to assess and monitor the efficacy of antiangiogenic agents,to assist targeted drug delivery and allow molecular imaging.展开更多
基金supported by Chinese National High Technology Research and Development Program 863 (No.2009AA02Z4B8)Project of the Capital Public Health Cultivation (No. Z11110706730000)
文摘Objective： To retrospectively investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation （RFA） in patients with liver metastases and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of RFA assisted by CEUS. Methods： From May 2004 to September 2010, 136 patients with 219 liver metastatic lesions received CEUS examination 1 h before RFA （CEUS group）, and other 126 patients with 216 lesions without CEUS examination in the earlier period were served as a historical control group. The mean tumor size was 3.2 cm and the mean tumor number was 1.6 in the CEUS group, while 3.4 cm and 1.7 in the control group, respectively （P〉0.05）. The clinical characteristics, recurrence results and survival outcomes were compared between two groups. Results： In the CEUS group, two isoechoic tumors were not demonstrated on unenhanced ultrasonography （US）, and 63 （47%） of 134 tumors examined with CEUS were 0.3 cm larger than with unenhanced US. Furthermore, in 18.4% of 136 patients, additional 1-3 tumors were detected on CEUS. The CEUS group showed higher early tumor necrosis and lower intrahepatic recurrence than the control group. The 3-year overall survival （OS） rate and the 3-year local recurrence-free survival （LRFS） rate in the CEUS group were 50.1% and 38.3%, in contrast to 25.3% and 19.3% in the control group, respectively （P=0.002 and P〈0.001）. Conclusions： CEUS provides important information for RFA treatment in patients with liver metastases and better therapeutic effect could be attained.
文摘BACKGROUND: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is increasingly diagnosed as a result of the advances in imaging studies such as contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, FNH with atypical features can be difficult to differentiate from other benign and malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of fatty liver background on the CEUS characteristics of FNH. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with FNH were divided into two groups: group A included 14 patients with fatty liver and group B included 12 patients with normal liver background. Conventional two-dimensional ultrasonography and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) were conducted and followed by real-time dual-frame CEUS. RESULTS: On two-dimensional ultrasonography, hypoechoic nodules were present in most of the patients in group A (12/14) and hyperechoic nodules in most of those in group B (7/12). The difference in the nodule echotextures between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Nodules with centrifugal blood flow signals on CDFI were found in 6 of the 14 patients in group A and 5 of the 12 in group B (P>0.05). On CEUS, nodules with a central spoked-wheel-like enhancement pattern in the early arterial phase were observed in 8 patients in group A and those with an eccentric enhancement pattern in the remaining 6 patients. In this group, 3 patients had hypoechoic nodules in the delayed phase. Eleven of the 14 patients in this group were diagnosed accurately with CEUS. In group B, nodules with a rapid central spoked-wheel-like enhancement pattern in the early arterial phase were found in 8 patients by CEUS and those with rapid an eccentric enhancement pattern in 4. The nodules were found to be continuously enhanced in the delayed phase. All of the patients in group B were accurately diagnosed with CEUS. CONCLUSIONS: A FNH nodule on a background of fatty liver may present a hypoechoic pattern on two-dimensional ultrasonography and a hypoechoic wash-out pattern in the delayed phase on CEUS. At this time, punch biopsy is needed for the diagnosis or differential diagnosis of FNH.
文摘AIM: To find occult metastases during hepatectomy in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM), contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography (CE-IOUS) was performed using a new microbubble agent, sonazoid, which provides a parenchyma-specific contrast image based on its accumulation in the Kupffer cells. METHODS: Eight patients with CRCLM underwent CE- IOUS using sonazoid before hepatectomy. The liver was investigated during a late Kupffer-phase imaging, which is a valuable characteristic of sonazoid. RESULTS: CE-IOUS using sonazoid provided the early vascular- and sinusoidal-phase images for 10 min followed by the late Kupffer-phase image up to 30 min after the injection of sonazoid. IOUS did not provide new findings of metastatic lesion in the 8 patients. However, during the late Kupffer-phase image of sonazoid, a metastatic lesion was newly found in two of the 8 patients. These newly detected lesions were removed by an additional hepatectomy and histopathologically diagnosed as a metastasis. CONCLUSION: CE-IOUS using sonazoid can allow surgeons to investigate the whole liver with enough time and to find new metastases intraoperatively.
文摘Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of chemotherapy can be performed in cases of liver-confined metastatic disease,resulting in increased local drug concentrations.Here we report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with an isolated large unresectable liver metastasis of colon cancer after failure of surgery and multiple administration of systemic chemotherapy.The patient was treated with a combination of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin using HAI.The tolerance was excellent and a radiological complete response was obtained after 8 cycles of HAI.The rationale for the use of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin as well as that for the combination of the 2 drugs is discussed in this paper.HAI of gemcitabine-oxaliplatin should be evaluated in further clinical trials.
文摘Contrast agents are increasingly being used to characterize the vasculature in an organ of interest,to better delineate benign from malignant pathology and to aid in staging and directing therapeutic procedures.We review the mechanisms of action of first,second and third generation contrast agents and their use in various endoscopic procedures in the gastrointestinal tract.Various applications of contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography include differentiating benign from malignant mediastinal lymphadenopathy,assessment of depth of invasion of esophageal,gastric and gall bladder cancers and visualization of the portal venous system and esophageal varices.In addition,contrast agents can be used to differentiate pancreatic lesions.The use of color Doppler further increases the ability to diagnose and differentiate various pancreatic malignancies.The sensitivity of power Doppler sonography to depict tumor neovascularization can be increased by contrast agents.Contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging is a useful aid in identifying the tumor vasculature and studying pancreatic microperfusion.In the future,these techniques could potentially be used to quantify tumor perfusion,to assess and monitor the efficacy of antiangiogenic agents,to assist targeted drug delivery and allow molecular imaging.
