title: Clinical utility of color Doppler sonography in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma from metastases and hemangioma.
abstract: The clinical utility of color Doppler sonography in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma from metastases and hemangioma was investigated in 72 hepatocellular carcinomas (80 lesions), 30 metastases (82 lesions), and 39 hemangiomas (54 lesions). Overlaps of color patterns were found among hepatocellular carcinoma, metastases and hemangioma. Pulsatile waves from lesions with the basket, vessels within tumor, or spot patterns, or lesions measuring less than 3 cm with detectable signals, did not favor the diagnosis of hemangioma. In conclusion, color Doppler sonography can aid in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma from hemangioma but may be unreliable in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma from hypervascular metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color