title: Hepatocellular carcinoma treatment with percutaneous ethanol injection: evaluation with contrast-enhanced color Doppler US.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ability of contrast agent-enhanced color Doppler ultrasonography (US) in evaluating the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients (36 men, six women; age range, 51-79 years) with 54 1.3-7.0-cm-diameter (mean +/- SD, 2.8 cm +/- 1.1) HCC lesions were examined with contrast-enhanced color Doppler US before and after PEI. Spiral computed tomography (CT) and percutaneous biopsy also were performed to establish the outcome of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before PEI, intratumoral color signals were demonstrated at contrast-enhanced color Doppler US in 47 (87%) lesions (in 40 patients). After PEI, blood flow signals were no longer detected in all 34 of the lesions that were found to be necrotic at spiral CT and biopsy. In 12 (92%) of 13 lesions containing residual viable tumor, intratumoral color signals corresponding to the enhancing areas at spiral CT were still identified at contrast-enhanced color Doppler US. These 12 lesions were retreated with PEI by targeting the areas of residual tumor with contrast-enhanced color Doppler US guidance. Complete necrosis was seen after the second PEI cycle in nine of 12 lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrast-enhanced color Doppler US shows promise in assessing the therapeutic effect of PEI on HCC and in guiding additional treatment in cases of incomplete response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartolozzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lencioni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paolicchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Passariello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D003287:Contrast Media; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D011134:Polysaccharides; C059891:SHU 508; D000431:Ethanol