title: [Clinical significance of hyperechogenic focal lesions of the cirrhotic liver].
abstract: A review was made of the ultrasonographic (US) examinations performed over the period 1981-1986; 27 cirrhotic patients with hyperechoic liver lesions were identified, whose diagnoses had been made by means of either US-guided percutaneous biopsy, or laparoscopy, or autopsy. In 24 patients hepatocellular carcinomas nodules (HCC) were found, associated with cirrhosis, while in 3 cases only cirrhosis was seen. In the above mentioned 3 cases, a 2-year US follow-up showed no variation in the size of the nodules. These data confirm the importance of US in the screening of risk HCC patients, and point out that--however small--hyperechoic lesions in a cirrhotic liver suggest the cancerization of the substanding cirrhosis.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
vernacular_title: Significato clinico delle lesioni focali iperecogene nel fegato cirrotico.