Histopathological correlation of ultrasound appearances of liver metastases.
We reviewed ultrasound examinations of the liver performed at Yale--New Haven Hospital on patients with biopsy-proven tumors since January 1, 1977, to correlate the ultrasonic appearances with histology. Liver metastases appeared as sonolucent lesions in 37.5% of patients, as mixed sonolucent/echogenic lesions in 37.5%, and as solely echogenic in only 25%. We found a limited correlation between the echogenic pattern of the ultrasound scans and histology. The majority of echogenic metastases were from colonic primaries (54%) or hepatomas (25%). Metastases from lymphomas were extremely sonolucent and sarcomas frequently demonstrated central necrosis. Calcified metastases from mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma of the colon appeared as dense lesions with distal shadowing.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D001706:Biopsy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D014463:Ultrasonography