Color and power Doppler sonography of liver hemangiomas: a dream unfulfilled?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether color Doppler or power Doppler sonography can aid in the diagnosis of hepatic cavernous hemangiomas.


METHODS
We imaged 25 hepatic cavernous hemangiomas in 17 patients with gray-scale, color Doppler, and power Doppler sonography. Five malignant lesions were also imaged in the same manner for reference. Hemangiomas had been previously diagnosed by biopsy in 8 patients (15 lesions) and by CT, MRI, and/or tagged red blood cell scanning in 9 patients (10 lesions).


RESULTS
Of the 25 hemangiomas, color or power Doppler imaging showed no internal blood flow in 23. Of these 23 lesions, 11 showed a peripheral flow pattern believed to represent flow in displaced blood vessels. This pattern was better visualized with power Doppler imaging in 3 lesions and equally well visualized with color and power Doppler imaging in 8 lesions. Two hemangiomas that had unusual central fibrosis with large vessels in 1 patient showed diffusely increased blood flow on power Doppler study. All 5 malignant lesions showed flow in peripheral vessels, and 1 showed internal vascularity as well.


CONCLUSIONS
Neither color nor power Doppler imaging improved the capability of sonography for making a specific diagnosis of benign hepatic cavernous hemangioma.
Perkins
A B
AB
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Brown University School of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA.
Imam
K
K
Smith
W J
WJ
Cronan
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000295:instrumentation