title: Sonographic diagnosis of solitary solid liver nodules in cancer patients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyse the sonographic patterns of solitary solid liver lesions in cancer patients and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound alone and in combination with other techniques (liver function tests, histology). A total of 422 solitary solid liver lesions (SSLL) were diagnosed by ultrasound in cancer patients; 197 lesions were benign and 225 malignant. The predominant aetiology for hypoechoic SSLL (128 cases) was metastasis (112 cases), whereas most hyperechoic SSLL (265 cases) were haemangiomas (155 cases) rather than a metastasis (86 cases). The 29 isoechoic SSLL included 27 metastases and 2 benign lesions. A halo was found to be highly predictive of malignancy (97%-100%). The positive predictive value for malignancy of an SSLL was very high when the results of liver function tests were abnormal (97%-100%). In our experience, histological proof is unnecessary in the majority of liver lesions in cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie, Hôpital Pasteur, Nice, France.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bruneton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raffaelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balu-Maestro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Padovani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chevallier
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Mourou
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase