Changes of hepatoma echo patterns with tumor growth. A study of the microanatomic basis in a rat model.
OBJECTIVE
The echo patterns of human hepatoma vary considerably as the tumors grow. This sonographic study investigates the microanatomic basis of the echo-pattern changes in an animal model.


METHODS
ACI rats (n = 35) with intrahepatically implanted Morris hepatoma 3924A were imaged with 10-MHz ultrasound from days 7 to 28 after tumor implantation. The sonograms were precisely correlated with the histologic sections and microangiograms obtained from the same section plane.


RESULTS
Small hepatomas (size = 6.6 +/- 1.6 mm) without necrosis demonstrated a low-echo pattern. Medium-sized tumors (size = 11.7 +/- 3.3 mm) had a low-echo periphery and a high-echo center. The low-echo periphery corresponded to viable tumor and the high-echo core corresponded to central coagulation necrosis. Large tumors (size = 20.9 +/- 7.5 mm) with extensive necrosis revealed an irregular mixed-echo pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
The trend of increasing echogenicity of the hepatomas with tumor growth is due to the progression of coagulation necrosis.
Yang
R
R
Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Kopecky
K K
KK
Rescorla
F J
FJ
Galliani
C A
CA
Grosfeld
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D014463:Ultrasonography