Assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound with perfluorobutane microbubbles: comparison with dynamic CT

作者：Mandai M; Koda M^*; Matono T; Nagahara T; Sugihara T; Ueki M; Ohyama K; Murawaki Y

来源：British Journal of Radiology, 2011, 84(1002): 499-507.

DOI：10.1259/bjr/38682601

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate tumour vascularity and Kupffer cell imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid (perfluorobutane) and to compare performance with dynamic CT.
Methods: We studied 118 nodules in 88 patients with HCC. HCC was diagnosed as a hyperenhancement lesion in the arterial phase with washout in the portal phase on dynamic CT or by percutaneous biopsy. We observed tumour vascularity at the early vascular phase (10-30 s after contrast injection) and Kupffer imaging at the post-vascular phase (after 10 min).
Results: Detection of vascularity at the early vascular phase was 88% in nodules that were found to be hypervascular on dynamic CT and 28% in hypo-/isovascular nodules; the detection of local recurrence nodules was 92%. The detection of vascularity was significantly lower in nodules >9 cm deep than in those <= 9 cm deep, but was not affected by tumour size. The detection of tumours at the post-vascular phase on CEUS was 83% in nodules with low density in the portal phase on dynamic CT and 82% in nodules with isodensity. The rate did not depend on the severity of underlying liver disease; rates decreased in nodules deeper than 9 cm, those smaller than 2 cm in diameter and in iso-enhancing nodules at the early vascular phase of CEUS.
Conclusion: CEUS with Sonazoid is a useful tool for assessing the vascularity of HCC and is equal to that of dynamic CT; however, the detectability of HCC vascularity is affected by location.

• 出版日期2011-6